Once meant to be a temporary building, Maile has become the center of performing arts, dance and theater at Kapi‘olani Community College.
Maile has served as the location for many performances in the past and will be producing more.
Recently, Lina Doo, assistant professor, wrote and successfully submitted a grant to purchase new light fixtures and a sound board for the Maile building. Throughout the years, this building has housed many choral, guitar, dance and theater productions.
Since the 1990’s the department has put on annual Christmas and spring concerts that have featured students from the guitar ensemble and college chorus classes. At the end of the semester, there are modern dance and ballet finals performances.
Some musical performances have included “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Children of Eden” and “Evita.”
Though the program has not been adorned with the proper equipment for performances, they followed “the show must go on” mantra and did not let the lack of light equipment stop the show.
Previously, the accessories vital to performances the department used was either borrowed, or were bought used instead of new. The building had older systems that were being used for most performances.
“It’s an ongoing process,” Doo said. “Technology is always changing, those things cost money.”
The right gadgets in performances are always enhancing and help to make the performance professional. They help to give both the audience and the talent a chance to full experience of a performance, Doo said.
The successful grant submission made it possible for the department to purchase lights and help to create a performing venue.
“To create a most accurate performing venue, sets are built, live or taped music are employed and especially with (the) addition of lights,” wrote Doo in an email response.
The grant submission didn’t happen overnight.
Doo has applied for this grant previously, but this time around it took longer to prepare due to increased competition and available funds. She also received great help with preparatory work from Brandon Higa, grant development specialist.
“I spent three months researching and fine-tuning the application,” he said.
Because of limited funds, Doo had to look for an outside source for the purchase lights and soundboard. There had already been a contribution from the humanities board for a new light board, so she looked towards the UH Women’s Campus Club (WCC).
WCC runs a thrift store at the Mānoa campus and publishes a monthly newsletter called The Exchange. Money raised from the shop and newsletter goes to supporting grants for departments and programs to help benefit students and faculty in the UH system.
Higa said that Doo took pictures of how the building looked previously.
“I think it’s true (that) a picture is worth a thousand words,” Higa said.
Doo created a five-page narrative with the request for equipment. In response, the department received a grant of $4,353 to purchase lights and a soundboard. The WCC usually has a cap of $4,000 for grant money, and in rare cases give out more, Higa explained.
The addition of the lights and soundboard enhances more than just the experience and performance. It also allows instructors to hook up their iPods or CD players for music, which can be used in drama and music productions.
The new additions to the Maile building will hopefully be experienced during the next drama performance.
For those interested, there will be a two-module musical theater class that will be offered next semester. The course will end with a spring production.
Student performances will be enhanced due to the new addition of equipment.
“One doesn’t know what this means until they can’t see or hear the performers,” Doo said. “We take these things for granted. It’s a part of the mystique and magic of performance.”