{"id":223053,"date":"2025-10-02T13:49:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T23:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=223053"},"modified":"2025-10-02T13:52:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T23:52:47","slug":"paliku-theatre-ghosts-of-hawaiipremiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/02\/paliku-theatre-ghosts-of-hawaiipremiere\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghosts of Hawai\u02bbi haunt the stage in Palik\u016b Theatre premiere"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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TristanKasy Henry and Isabelle Pozzi in The Green Lady of Wahiawa<\/em>. (Photo by Brad Goda)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The stage at Windward Community College\u2019s Palik\u016b Theatre<\/a> will transform into one of Hawaiʻi\u2019s<\/span> eeriest landscapes in November, when the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Conservatory of Performing Arts presents The Green Lady of Wahiaw\u0101 and Other Local Ghost Stories<\/em>. Directed by Taurie Kinoshita, the premiere runs November 7–16.<\/p>\n

Rooted in folklore, urban legends and historical accounts, the production reimagines some of Hawaiʻi\u2019s<\/span> most spine-tingling ghost stories\u2014from the moss-haired Green Lady who terrifies Wahiaw\u0101 gulch, to the blank-faced apparition who lurks in mirrors at Kahala Mall, to the infamous Kaimuk\u012b house haunted by a malevolent spirit.<\/p>\n

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Amber Ooka, top, K. Chellcee Acosta, and Elisha Costa in The Green Lady of Wahiawa<\/em>. (Photo by Brad Goda)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The title tale, The Green Lady of Wahiaw\u0101<\/em>, dates back to 1957 when children first reported sightings of a foul-smelling, seaweed-draped figure near Wahiaw\u0101 Elementary. Over the decades, the legend became a cautionary fable meant to keep children from straying into the dangerous gulch.<\/p>\n

The play also dramatizes The Faceless Woman<\/em>, a ghost drawn from y\u014dkai (Japanese supernatural beings) folklore and local reports from the old Waiʻalae<\/span> Drive-In. Another vignette explores the Kasha of Kaimuk\u012b<\/em>, a poltergeist or corpse-devouring demon said to torment those who enter its house.<\/p>\n

Spanning the 1920s to present day, the show also incorporates stories tied to the Pali Highway and Japanese internment camps, weaving together themes of fear, bias, courage and faith. Each tale is staged in a unique style—film noir, realism, expressionism—offering audiences a theatrical journey into the supernatural side of Hawaiʻi<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Performances are recommended for ages 13 and up due to adult themes, language and minor stage violence.<\/p>\n

Showtimes:<\/strong><\/p>\n