‘The Queen’s Women’ To Re-enact History In Waimanalo

A little-known but significant part of Hawaiian history will be presented Thursday at the Waimanalo Hawaiian Homes Association community center: Ka Lei Maile Ali’i Hawaiian Civic Club, under the direction of Lynette Cruz, will perform the re-enactment, titled The Queen’s Women.

The program begins at 6 p.m. with networking and dinner, followed by “A Queen’s Tale” project, which includes the re-enactment of the historic Hilo event from 7 to 9 p.m. with audience participation. The evening is sponsored by Waimanalo Hawaiian Civic Club with the help of a grant and is free to the public. Club president Maynard Koa participated in the program last fall at the civic clubs’ national convention in Washington, D.C., and was moved to share it with his community.

The one-act play is based on an 1897 newspaper account of an anti-annexation petition meeting in Hilo by the women’s branch of the Hawaiian Patriotic League following the overthrow of Queen Lili’uokalani. The women’s campaign succeeded in defeating the U.S. Treaty of Annexation in the U.S. Senate. Ka Lei Maile Ali’i also has brought the play to Iolani Palace and other venues.

The Ka Ho’oilina na Kuhio Community Center is located at 41-253 Ilauhole St. For more information, call Pohai Ryan at 230-3654 or email e.p.ryan@hotmail.com.