Student actors at Windward Community College are about to put a deeply topical subject center stage: immigration enforcement. Among seven original scenes making up Everyday Heroes of Hawaiʻi, a new theatrical showcase opening next month at Palikū Theatre in Kāneʻohe, one vignette called Reuben at Ruby Ridges confronts enforcement actions and immigration violations tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement head-on.
The play was written by Kekoa A. Shope, whose work addresses immigration enforcement. According to official venue listings cited by Windward Community College, the production explores courage and immigration themes. Shope previously wrote The Hangry Games, a dystopian satirical play that the Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts (HCPA) produced at Palikū Theatre in April, exploring power and scarcity through topical humor and physical combat, as reported by University of Hawaiʻi System News.
Seven Stories, One Stage
Everyday Heroes of Hawaiʻi will run November 6 through 15, with HCPA presenting the production under director Taurie Kinoshita, according to the University of Hawaiʻi System. The show includes seven original scenes inspired by real-life heroes and was written by local playwrights, with the production focused on Hawaiʻi-based perspectives, inclusivity and diversity.
One scene, Paradise Mall, was created by Luke Manning, who also performs in the production, and draws inspiration from security guards who helped save a life. Other works draw inspiration from Private First Class Antony Kahoʻohanohano, as well as a teacher who stood up against discrimination at a local preparatory school, per the same UH account.
A Korean War Hero's Last Stand
Kahoʻohanohano, a Native Hawaiian born on Maui, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in May 2011 for single-handedly holding off an advancing enemy force in Chupa-ri, Korea, on September 1, 1951, to cover his squad's withdrawal, according to Army.mil. He fought until he ran out of ammunition and then engaged in hand-to-hand combat before he was killed, the same account notes. More than seven decades later, his sacrifice has become raw material for a new generation of Hawaiʻi performers translating real courage into live theater.
Kinoshita, who directs the showcase, said audiences should walk away recognizing everyday heroes and standing up for what is right. She became the first woman of color to lead a Hawaiʻi theatre company and the first person of color named artistic director in the state since 1997 when she was promoted to artistic director of HCPA in October 2022, according to Palikū Theatre, which notes she had already directed 19 productions there before taking the role.
Training Ground With a Mission
HCPA operates as the conservatory arm of Windward Community College, and the program covers 100% of tuition for every student who auditions successfully into its year-long Foundation in Acting program through the Dr. Dennis Carroll Scholarship, according to University of Hawaiʻi System News. The scholarship was established to level the playing field for local aspiring actors regardless of income, the report notes.
HCPA's original, locally written productions put Hawaiʻi stories onstage.
The program has also built an international pipeline for its students. In fall 2025, London's East 15 Acting School elevated Windward Community College to Premium Partner status, offering a $5,000 annual scholarship to transferring HCPA students after accepting all eight applicants from the 2025 and 2026 cohorts, the UH System report states. Faculty members Nicolas Logue and Taurie Kinoshita both arrived at Windward in 2012 directly from East 15.
Cast, Content Warnings and Tickets
Everyday Heroes of Hawaiʻi features student performers. The production provides students hands-on learning in acting, movement and original storytelling, and is recommended for audiences ages 14 and older due to staged violence, strong language and mature themes.
Performances run at 7:30 p.m. on November 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14, with matinees at 3 p.m. on November 8 and 15 at Palikū Theatre on the Windward Community College campus in Kāneʻohe.
General admission tickets cost $25, with discounted $20 tickets available for seniors 62 and older, active military with ID, UH faculty and staff, and Hawaiʻi Department of Education teachers. Student tickets are $15 for ages 13 and older and college students with ID, though those must be purchased in person only. Tickets can be bought online at palikutheatre.com or at the box office one hour before showtime; ticket questions can be directed to the box office at 808-235-7315, while questions for HCPA can go to Professor Nick Logue at [email protected] or 808-236-9138.
Local Stories on Stage
Everyday Heroes of Hawaiʻi brings Hawaiʻi history and culture to the stage through original theater.
Everyday Heroes of Hawaiʻi pairs classroom training with stories that put Hawaiʻi's own history and present-day struggles directly in front of local audiences.
