Arts briefs 3-9

Auditions for ‘The Tempest’ slated

Volunteer actors and musicians are sought for Aloha Performing Arts Company’s next production, a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Auditions will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Aloha Theatre in Kainaliu. If necessary, a third, invitational callback audition will be held March 16. Susie Burke, a professional actor, playwright and director from the Los Angeles area, is the author of the new adaptation and will also serve as guest director, assisted by Melissa Atwood.

APAC’s artistic director, Jerry Tracy, will play Prospero, and David A. Payne will take the role of Caliban.

The cast consists of five men and four women, a few acoustic musicians and several spirits of either gender. The new adaptation takes place on an island in the Indian Ocean in the early 16th century, during the time of the great Portuguese era of exploration and conquest. People of the island include Prospero, Caliban and several spirits, as well as Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, an innocent wild child aged 16 to 18 and Ariel, a magical spirit of the air who obeys Prospero, and who can be played by an actor of either gender and any age. The people of the court of Ceylon include Alonsa, the Queen of Madras, who conspired to send Prospero and Miranda to their deaths upon the sea; Ferdinand, her son, an innocent prince who falls in love with Miranda; Gonzala, a wise woman, counselor to the queen; Antonio, the Duke of Ceylon, Prospero’s brother, who overthrew the dukedom and sent Prospero into exile; Stephana, the queen’s cook, a wily survivor; and Trinculo, the queen’s jester.

“The Tempest” will play at the Aloha Theatre April 27 through May 12. Rehearsals will begin immediately, and will generally be conducted Monday through Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Those auditioning need attend only one of the audition sessions, and may present a monologue, but one is not required. The script is available online at apachawaii.org, and hard copies are available for on-site perusal by appointment.

For more information, call 322-9924.

Beaded jewelry workshop March 24

Artisan Cathie Ann Amelotte will be teaching a beaded jewelry workshop from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. March 24, at the Blue Sea Artisans gallery in the Kona International Marketplace. Along with many other local artists, her jewelry line “Beadgin Anew” is available at the gallery. The line is best known for merging the past with the present to create something beautiful – a jewelry encounter of the vintage kind. The unique character of her work reflects vintage, “previously loved” gems and components combined with modern, organic and humanly-enhanced stones and beads. In the spirit of recycling and environmental consciousness, along with the belief that once is just not enough, the combination honors the past and brings forth a refreshing new look. The workshop invites and welcomes everyone to attend regardless of experience or skill level. The atmosphere of the workshop is very casual. The objectives are to have fun, get creative and complete and take away a unique piece that the attendee can cherish forever. The cost of the class varies and will be determined by the materials and components used. All materials will be supplied and there will be a wide assortment from which to choose. For more information and to register for the workshop, call Blue Sea Artisans at 329-8000 during the gallery’s hours of operation: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday.

Honuea exhibition seeks entries

Volcano Art Center and the Hawaii Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project are proud to announce Honuea 2012, a juried art exhibition celebrating Hawaii’s endangered honuea, the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Amateur and professional artists of all ages are encouraged to submit works of art raising both awareness and funds for these critically endangered sea turtles. The exhibition opens April 28 at the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. A formal reception will follow from 5 to 7 p.m. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded.

Called Honu Ea or Ea by the native Hawaiians, the hawksbill is an endangered sea turtle that lives in the waters of the islands. They are known to nest on seventeen beaches on Hawaii, about three on Maui and at an unknown number of locations on Molokai. Three of the beaches on Hawaii are protected along the remote coast of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. “Volcano Art Center Gallery is the perfect venue for this exhibition,” Emily Catey, gallery manger at VAC, said. “Hawksbill sea turtles nest right here within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park boundaries.” Catey knows this personally as she volunteered with the Hawaii Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project in 2001. Conservation projects such as this one are working hard to preserve endangered species in Hawaii.

“We hope the contest will raise awareness and funds for this conservation effort, kicking off the nesting season which extends from April to February with peak activity between July and October,” Will Seitz, Coordinator for the Hawaii Island Hawksbill Turtle Project, said. “It’s a great way for people of all ages to get involved and help save one of Hawaii’s native species.” Partial proceeds from both the entry fee and sale of artwork go directly to the Hawaii Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project.

Entry forms and more information about how to enter your work representing the honuea species can be found at volcanoartcenter.org, or call Emily Catey at 967-7565.

2nd annual Spring Art and Music Festival

The Spring Art and Music Festival will be held 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., March 17, at Kona International Market. The festival is free to the public and promises fun for the whole family. Along with artists, musicians and food vendors dispersed throughout the market, the event also features a contest for young artists of any medium with the theme “What I Love About Hawaii.”

Vendors are wanted. Contact Sandi at 329-3030 or sandi@luhia.com