The Rose Children’s Theater in Eugene has been hard at work on their production of “Moana Jr.,” directed by Dody Hansen. In putting on this show, Hansen emphasized educating the actors about Pacific Islander culture and heritage. She wanted to ensure the Pacific Islander community was represented in the musical in a respectful manner.
For this reason she brought in Kawika Perreira, a University of Oregon sophomore studying cultural anthropology and psychology, as a cultural consultant. Born in Oahu, Hawaii, he has a deep connection to Pacific Islander culture. Perreira supported Hansen in ensuring the show was culturally sensitive. He also provided the kids with the education necessary to understand the complexities of Pacific Islander history.
Every Friday at the end of rehearsal, the kids would have a small lesson with Perreira about different aspects of Pacific Islander culture in the form of a slideshow presentation. Perreira related the lessons to the play, often focusing on dance, legends and voyagers. The kids were actively engaged and often asked many questions.
“[It was a] great experience to know that people are actually interested in my culture,” Perreira said. “We’re always trying to teach everyone about culture and all that stuff to bring back what was once lost.”
The Rose Children’s Theater actively took steps to make their production culturally appropriate and sensitive. Some of these include not altering skin color, not using coconut bras, and not using any sacred symbols in the production. Hansen also made sure to consult with several people from Pacific Islander heritage for advice, support and guidance.
Chris Young, an academic advisor at UO who focuses on empowering Pacific Islander students, was particularly supportive of Hansen.
“He gave me a lot of advice as far as language and also just encouragement because he felt like he was very excited that this was happening,” Hansen said.
Hansen has been involved in the Rose Children’s Theater for over 15 years. She has held many roles around the theater, and this will be the fifth show she directed. Hansen was initially inspired to bring in a cultural consultant because of the special attention Disney paid to the Pacific Islander culture in their production of “Moana.” She wishes she had done this work in previous shows she had directed. Hansen sees it having a positive impact on the kids and believes it allows for a more respectful production.
Knowing Eugene has a predominantly white population, at about 82% according to the National Census, Hansen wanted to ensure the actors were educated about Pacific Islander history.
“I knew that the most important part of this was to show respect and honor for the Pacific Islander cultures,” Hansen said.
Hansen brought in a traditional hula teacher who taught the kids about storytelling through dance. The kids also learned various songs in Samoan, a traditional Pacific Islander language, which they will perform as part of the production. The music director, Siera Kaup, used the director’s show kit, a guide provided by Music Theater International, to ensure correct pronunciation.
This experience was not always easy. One actor in the cast was bullied in school and after-school activities for being white and representing a character who is not white. When situations like this arose, Hansen leaned on Perreira for support to make sure he still thought it was okay and a positive experience.
Hansen sees theater as a tool for empathy. “When you’re acting,” she said,“what better way to empathize with a culture and another person than to figure out how to be them and represent their life through acting.”
The kids in the play were excited to learn about the Pacific Islander cultures. They found the lessons engaging and eye-opening. Nate Rosenfeld, who plays Maui in the musical, felt “it was really interesting to learn about the Samoan culture.” Another actress, Nori Turner, noted she was amazed to learn “they have a different lifestyle than us.”
Performances of “Moana Jr.” will take place at the Wildish Community Theater on Nov. 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 2 p.m. and Nov. 5, 6, 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. More information can be found on the theater’s website.
