KS-Hawai’i Invited to Prestigious International Festival

In 2016, Kamehameha Schools Hawai’i High School students will have the opportunity to take the stage in Ireland for the American High School Theatre Festival in Scotland as the State of Hawai’i’s first neighbor island school to attend.

The opportunity follows a selection by the AHSTF Board of Advisors, who invited the school for its commitment to theatre education, promotion of culture, level of administrative support, and community involvement.

Students, along with chaperones, will join an elite group of high school artists and perform at one of the world’s largest performing arts festivals as part of the AHSTF program at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

A million visitors attend the festival as tens of thousands of performers from all over the world participate.

According to KS-Hawai’i, the school initially applied to the festival after two local theatre professionals nominated them in the fall of 2014. Nominations to apply were based on the high standard of excellence demonstrated by KS-Hawai’i’s theatrical performances, which range from musicals high in popularity to original works, like Hawaiian language operas.

KS-Hawai’i held its first Ho’ike performance in 2004 and since has built its performing arts program. The school’s first Fall Musical was held in 2006, and the school will present its 11^th performance in November.

The first Ho’ike performance conducted solely in the Hawaiian language was performed in 2011. Performances in each of the next two years followed suit, with the entirety of operas in ‘olelo Hawai’i.

During the AHSTF, the school plans on performing its third opera, which is an adaptation of an earlier Ho’ike production. The performance is based on the saga of Hina and Kapepe’ekauila.

“The honor of attending the AHSTF is a great leap forward for KS-Hawai’i,” school officials said.

In 2011, Nanakuli High and Intermediate School was the last Hawai’i school to participate in the Edinburgh Festival.

Kamehameha Schools Hawai’i courtesy photo.

Kamehameha Schools Hawai’i courtesy photo.

Kamehameha Schools Hawai’i courtesy photo.

Kamehameha Schools Hawai’i courtesy photo.

Kamehameha Schools Hawai’i courtesy photo.