On Main Street in Wailuku, the Naylor Theatre has officially stepped into the spotlight. The new 12,000-square-foot performing arts hub threw open its doors last Wednesday with a lei-cutting, a naming ceremony and the Maui premiere of a film honoring the donor’s late son. The black-box venue, a gift from San Antonio philanthropist Susan Naylor, is the first permanent home for the Maui Academy of Performing Arts after decades of staging productions in borrowed spaces across the islands. Local artists and organizers say the building could anchor a rising Wailuku arts district and serve as a long-term home for theater, music and film.
A Long Road, Public Dollars And A Million-Dollar Catalyst
The Naylor is the centerpiece of the 12,000-square-foot Main Street Arts Project, which transformed a former Dollar General at 2027 Main Street into a $15 million arts campus that MAPA has been assembling since 2016, according to Maui Now. Roughly $10 million came from government sources, including about $8.5 million in federal money, $1.1 million from the state and $350,000 from Maui County, with private donors covering most of the remaining tab. In 2022, Susan Naylor pledged $1 million, a leadership gift that organizers say helped spark additional community giving.
Inside The Naylor
The new venue is built as a flexible black-box theater with movable seating, a spacious lobby, a green room, a scene shop and two rehearsal studios, according to Maui Academy of Performing Arts. Its first major production, Cabaret, opened in November and sold out nine performances, a trial run that put the theater’s immersive seating layout and acoustics through their paces, as reported by Maui News.
Season Slate, New Festival And Community Stage Time
MAPA has already lined up a full season for the Naylor. Plans include 14 performances of The Revolutionists in February, staged in an intimate in-the-round setup with 84 seats, followed in April by a Broadway-style production of Frozen that will boost capacity to about 175 seats per show, according to Maui Now. The Naylor is also set to serve as a key venue for the first Wailuku Film Festival, scheduled for June 18–21, which is planning screenings, panels and workshops at locations throughout downtown, per the organizers at Wailuku Film Festival.
The Family Story Behind The Gift
Naylor’s giving is rooted in personal loss. Her son, Will Naylor Smith, died in a traffic accident in 2007, and she went on to create The Will Smith Foundation to fund children’s programs and community projects. The foundation highlights partnerships with Imua Family Services and other Hawaii nonprofits, and its website details its mission and ongoing work, according to The Will Smith Foundation.
A Final Push To The Finish Line
MAPA says the $15 million capital campaign is essentially wrapped, but the project still needs about $200,000 for lighting, audio equipment and seating. Several donors have stepped up with matching funds that double contributions up to $100,000, according to Maui Academy of Performing Arts. Supporters who give $1,000 or more by Jan. 31, 2026, will see their names added to the Naylor Theatre lobby donor wall.
