AWARDEE: Moses Goods
NATIVE HERITAGE: Kānaka Maoli
LOCATION: Honolulu, HI
AWARD: 2021 SHIFT – Transformative Change and Indigenous Arts
DISCIPLINE: Theater
WEBSITE: actormosesgoods.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook
PARTNER ORGANIZATION:
Honolulu Theatre for Youth – BIO
ABOUT
Moses Goods’ body of work ranges from full length plays to theatrical storytelling pieces, strongly rooted in Native Hawaiian culture. Originally from the island of Maui, he has traveled nationally and internationally performing his original work to a wide range of audiences. His body of work ranges from full-length plays to theatrical storytelling pieces most of which are strongly rooted in Native Hawaiian culture. His one-man show, DUKE, has received widespread critical acclaim. Originally produced by Honolulu Theatre for Youth, DUKE is an unforgettable portrayal the life of Olympic gold medalist and father of modern surfing, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku. In addition to DUKE, his professional writing credits include Lonos Journey and three full-length plays commissioned by Windward Community College’s department of theatre and dance. Goods also writes his own storytelling material, adapting traditional Hawaiian stories to his unique performance style.
Goods is also the founder and artistic director of ʻInamona Theatre Company, an organization dedicated to reintroducing the native stories of Hawaiʻi to the community. ʻInamona is a traditional Hawaiian relish made from the roasted kernel of the kukui (candlenut). It is sprinkled sparingly over mea ʻai (nourishing food) to gently enhance the natural flavor. Goods believes that no matter how skilled the storyteller, their work is merely a condiment to the greater sustenance. The true “mea ʻai” are the stories that have come before us, the stories of our ancestors.
I want to make it clear that what I’m doing is to serve the community, to serve our ancestors, to continue to make sure those connections are being made between the generation of today and the ancestors that I’m portraying on stage.
― Moses Goods (Kānaka Maoli)
PROJECT
Goods’ SHIFT project KII A LOAA is a site-specific, interactive theatre-based exploration of honored sites of Honolulu designed to reveal layers of selective acknowledgement and glorification of history through the creation of “digital monuments”, in a virtual reality platform, that lift a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) lens to representation. Built on a foundation of multigenerational focus groups, engaging scholars, artists, and cultural practitioners, and cultivated through ensemble theatre creation in collaboration with dynamic media creators, this project seeks to reframe colonized concepts of past, present, and future. The partner organization, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, will be the producer on the project.
PARTNER ORGANIZATION
Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) produces professional theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of young people, families and educators in the state of Hawai‘i. Founded in 1955, HTY is one of the oldest and most respected children’s theatres in the country. HTY has served over five million people through school and family performances and drama education programs. Over 300 new plays for young audiences have been commissioned by HTY.
