Noiʻi Nowelo:
A Survey of Hawaiian and Indigenous Performance

EDITED BY TAMMY HAILIʻŌPUA BAKER AND J. LORENZO PERILLO

Chronicles the History of Hawaiian Theatre from educational and practitioner perspectives

Features insights from 24 emerging Kanaka Māoli, Filipino, Maori, and Tahitian artist scholars

The first anthology to examine Kanaka Māoli and Indigenous theatre, dance, and performance studies

Contents
 Kūkulu Kumuhana – Introduction, Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker and J. Lorenzo Perillo
 Part I: Noi‘i Keaka – Theatrical Tradition and Liberation 
1. He Lei Kupa, He Lei Kumu Ma Ke Kahua: Kumu Kahua Theatre’s Role in Weaving the Lei of Kanaka Narratives, Ākea Kahikina and Meredith Desha Enos
2. Talking to Māhū Ghosts in Lovey Lee , Stephanie Nohelani Teves
3. Ua Mau ka Hana Keaka, Kaipulaumakaniolono Kamawaehunaainaokalani Baker
4. Hoʻonāueueihe in Hawaiian (Shakespeare ma ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi), Iāsona Kaper
5. Native by Design: Exploring an Indigenous Approach to Theatrical Design, Noelani Montas
Part II: Noi‘i Mo‘olelo – Explorations in Craft and Creation 
6. Triptych of Moʻo Poetics, Noʻu Revilla
7. E noho ‘ia aku ka Lio, e hei‘ia ka pipi ohi e nā paniolo Ni‘ihau, A.  Kuʻuipolani Wong
8. The Opposite of Violence: ʻCreation,’ Creative Combat, and the Future Imaginary, Bryan Kamaoli Kuwada
9. Play, Play, Play: a crafty essay, Kristiana Kahakauwila
Part III: Noi‘i Hulahula – From Indigenous Dance Studies to Cultural Activism
10.   Preserving, Healing, and Identifying through Indigenous Filipino Performance, J. Lorenzo Perillo
11.   A Ngāti Hine in Naarm: From Residency To Occupation Via A Performative Activation Of Place, Tia Reihana-Morunga
12.   Dancing Beyond the Reef: Tourism, Labor and Indigeneity, Asalemo Crawford
13.   Time to Shake the Coconuts!, Te Māreikura Whakataka-Brightwell
Part IV: Kūkā Kama‘ilio – Conversations on Indigenous Practices and Education
14.   He Hanauna Hou: A Conversation with a New Generation of Kanaka Maoli Filmmakers, Mary Tuti Baker, Justyn Ah Chong, and ‘Āina Paikai
15.   He Na‘auao, He No‘ono‘o, He No‘eau Nā Pū‘ali Keaka – An Enlightening Conversation with UHM Hawaiian Theatre Practitioners, Puakahiki Kau‘iwehelaniikapōmahinalaʻilaʻi Kaina, Kaipulaumakaniolono Kamawaehunaainaokalani Baker, Ākea Kahikina, Lily Hi‘ilani Okimura, Iāsona Kaper, Joshua ‘Baba’ Kamoani‘alaho‘omaluika‘ōnohi‘ulaaloha Tavares, Noelani Montas, Kāneikoliakawahineikaʻiukapuomua Baker, and Ikaika Mendez. Moderated by their kumu, Haili‘ōpua Baker
 Part V: Hō‘ulu‘ulu – Preserving and Expanding
16.   Noiʻi Nowelo: Reviewing an Inaugural Conference on Indigenous Performance, Sonny Dryden Kuehuikapono Myers
17.   A List of Kanaka Maoli Playwrights and Plays Produced by Kumu Kahua Theatre, Daniel Akiyama, Ākea Kahikina, and Meredith Desha Enos
Noi‘i Nowelo – A Survey of Hawaiian & Indigenous Performance is the first critical anthological study of its kind, illuminating the expansive field of Hawaiian and Indigenous performance studies, its theory and its practice. Edited by Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker and J. Lorenzo Perillo, this groundbreaking volume intertwines the work of scholars, artists, and practitioners to forge a new paradigm for research and practice in the performing arts.
Anchored in noiʻi nowelo—the deep and deliberate pursuit of knowledge—this collection transcends Western frameworks to amplify Indigenous methodologies and cultural values. Through analytical essays, case studies, creative works, and reflections, contributors explore the rich histories, critical debates, and distinctly transformative potential of Hawaiian and Indigenous performance.
The book features a diverse array of perspectives on topics such as the evolution of hana keaka (Hawaiian-medium theatre), the role of performing arts in language revitalization, and the intersections of performance, activism, and cultural identity. It also showcases pioneering productions, including Glitter in the Pa‘akai, and highlights the innovative work of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hawaiian Theatre Program—the first graduate level program globally dedicated to Indigenous performance.
A formative milestone in the field, Noi‘i Nowelo provides a comprehensive framework for understanding Hawaiian and Indigenous performance as a discipline, practice, and cultural force. Designed for scholars, educators, and practitioners alike, this anthology offers invaluable insights and methodologies for engaging with performance as an academic pursuit, a vivacious expression of cultural identity, and a modality for rumination and the stimulation of community resilience.

Available in Paperback and Ebook

Click Here

Learn More About ANNO

CLICK HERE

Reviews

We celebrate the fact that ANNO is the first and only research institute in the world dedicated solely to Indigenous performance! We look forward to strongly supporting the institute as its work continues to inspire and inform scholarship across the university and around the world, enriching lives here in Hawai‘i and well beyond.
Michael S. Bruno Provost at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
As Dean of the College of Arts, Languages & Letters, I want to underscore the vital importance of this set of conversations not only for the university, but especially for our college, in which the arts, humanities and languages are our academic heart and soul. This conference speaks to our collective scholarly and artistic commitment to these fields, while deepening and strengthening our focus on indigenous and Native Hawaiian culture, art, and performance traditions---and our responsibility to our kanaka ōiwi and wider indigenous communities
Peter ArnadeDean of the College of Arts, Languages & Letters, UHM

PC: Greg Noir Sports