‘Queens in our Park’ is Jan. 22

Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park invites the public to “Queens in our Park,” a free performance slated today at the park amphitheater.

Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park invites the public to “Queens in our Park,” a free performance slated today at the park amphitheater.

The two free one-act performances will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. featuring playwright Jackie Pualani Johnson and actress Denyse Woo-Ockerman. The plays include “Vespers at Hanaiakamalama” starring Denyse Woo-Ockerman as Queen Emma; and “Liliuokalani at Washington Place” starring Jackie Pualani Johnson as Liliuokalani.

The evening begins with “Vespers at Hanaiakamalama” in which Woo-Ockerman, as Emma, contemplates her eventful life and tells the history of the king and queen’s efforts to take responsibility for the Hawaiian people.

After a 15-minute intermission, the second performance will begin. “Liliuokalani at Washington Place” is a portrayal of Liliuokalani, the last ruling monarch of Hawaii, as she reflects upon her private life, particularly as a mother of three hanai children.