I Land

When thinking of Hawaii, a few things might spring to mind: hula dancing, surfing, bananas, and nowadays, Barack Obama. But of course the rich history of our sunny 50th state goes beyond Capri Sun Hawaiian Punch commercials and songs about tropical vacations sung over a ukulele. Enter I Land, the brainchild of Hawaiian actor and hula dancer Keo Woolford. In his semi-autobiographical work, Woolford uses both personal experience and national associations to explore a wide scope of subjects. Fusing a variety of media, I Land uses the Hawaiian tradition of talk story as a springboard to combine theater, dance (from hula to hip hop), and comedy to explore the Hawaiian experience in the postmodern world. Woolford, under the direction of Roberta Uno, tells the tale of his personal quest for his origins and heritage. Yet for every personal revelation, there will also be a wink and nod to Hawaii's national identity, from theme parties in the Midwest where pineapples are thrown on the grill and the backyard pool barely reaches above 75 degrees, to Hollywood's kitschy take on Hawaii, spanning dozens of Elvis flicks and a Britney Spears TV special.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Starts: Nov. 20. Continues through Nov. 22, 2008