{"id":166495,"date":"2022-10-04T12:56:24","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T22:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=166495"},"modified":"2022-10-04T12:56:24","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T22:56:24","slug":"demigods-anonymous-paliku-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2022\/10\/04\/demigods-anonymous-paliku-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"Queer-centered superhero fantasy Demigods Anonymous at Palik\u016b Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Students
Demigods Anonymous<\/em> cast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Action, magic and humor will abound on stage in Demigods Anonymous<\/em>, a new show running October 28–November 6 at Windward Community College<\/a>\u2019s Palik\u016b Theatre<\/a>. Written by Windward CC<\/abbr> alum Noa Helela<\/strong>, the queer-centered superhero fantasy tells the story of people manifesting ancient kupua (demigod) powers to transform into animals.<\/p>\n

Demigods Anonymous<\/em> follows Noe Lahana, who struggles with shapeshifting into a giant lizard, at her mandated Demigods Anonymous meetings. She, her girlfriend Marcella and their friends face their meeting facilitator, who is condescending at best, evil at worst.<\/p>\n

“At 19, I learned that rehab isn\u2019t a safe place to be a queer, mentally ill Hawaiian woman,” said Helela. “So, years later, I wrote Demigods Anonymous<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

\"Three
Reece Flores, Marie Richter and Aren Iverson in Demigods Anonymous<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The cast includes Reece Flores<\/strong> as Noe, Sydney Ishikawa<\/strong> as Marcella and Marie Richter<\/strong> as the menacing counselor. First performed at the Kumu Kahua Theatre in 2018, the play has since been updated, and now features an entirely different ending and approach.<\/p>\n

Helela is a Hawaiian-Asian-European multimedia artist whose work includes filmmaking, playwriting, music and poetry. Helela is a Hawaiʻi<\/span> Conservatory of Performing Arts emerging island artist. Most of her projects involve fantasy realism and dark humor, with intersectional themes including mixed racial identity, diaspora, native issues, racism\/racial violence, colonization, feminism, queer relationships and trans identity.<\/p>\n

“Noa Helela is a brilliant writer and artist; her empowering play is a metaphor for systemic oppression that BIPOC<\/abbr> (Black, Indigenous, people of color) and Indigenous people often face,” said Director Taurie Kinoshita<\/strong>. “Western art is often binary but Demigods Anonymous<\/em> defies simplistic categorization.”<\/p>\n

For more information about Demigods Anonymous<\/em>, visit the Palik\u016b Theatre website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Show dates and times:<\/h2>\n