His real name is George, but everyone calls him Koi. Like the last fish still swimming in his backyard pond where he used to keep a whole school of koi. And like that lonely fish, Koi is facing the inevitable. He's dying from cancer.
"Live with me," he asks his son. "Take care of me. I'll give you my house. With the rent you save, you can renovate the place." But his son is engaged to a woman who dreams of a fancy house in an expensive neighbourhood. "I can't," he answers. "Ask your niece. Her husband doesn't have steady work and they need the money." She moves in with her reluctant husband and their new baby. Soon, the needs and wants of this young family and the old man begin to clash. The tension builds as Koi's essentially selfish nature emerges and the young woman's care degenerates into elder abuse. Before our eyes, the perception of the happy Hawaiian surrounded by ukulele playing family members is exposed as myth.
It's only a story, written by local playwright Keali'iwahine Hokoana who was present for this production of her play at the Kumu Kahua Theatre, a 100 seat theatre on the edge of Chinatown in downtown Honolulu. But what a story! Like one of Jesus' darker parables about the kingdom of God, it reveals man's basic self-centredness and the harsh end that awaits all of us unless we allow ourselves to be ruled by a different, more giving spirit.
Attending this play reminded us of the local creativity and compelling story lines that exist in every community. Koi, Like The Fish, helped us to see that there's more to Hawaii than meets the superficial eye of the sun-seeking tourist. Like the rest of humanity and the residents of Durham and Clarington, the people who live on these beautiful islands have their own explosive troubles, conflicts and frustrations.
The ending left us longing for a hope that the play did not provide. If that was deliberate, it had the desired effect, because we walked home discussing the hope that has found a home in our hearts.
- Pastor Peter
"Live with me," he asks his son. "Take care of me. I'll give you my house. With the rent you save, you can renovate the place." But his son is engaged to a woman who dreams of a fancy house in an expensive neighbourhood. "I can't," he answers. "Ask your niece. Her husband doesn't have steady work and they need the money." She moves in with her reluctant husband and their new baby. Soon, the needs and wants of this young family and the old man begin to clash. The tension builds as Koi's essentially selfish nature emerges and the young woman's care degenerates into elder abuse. Before our eyes, the perception of the happy Hawaiian surrounded by ukulele playing family members is exposed as myth.
It's only a story, written by local playwright Keali'iwahine Hokoana who was present for this production of her play at the Kumu Kahua Theatre, a 100 seat theatre on the edge of Chinatown in downtown Honolulu. But what a story! Like one of Jesus' darker parables about the kingdom of God, it reveals man's basic self-centredness and the harsh end that awaits all of us unless we allow ourselves to be ruled by a different, more giving spirit.
Attending this play reminded us of the local creativity and compelling story lines that exist in every community. Koi, Like The Fish, helped us to see that there's more to Hawaii than meets the superficial eye of the sun-seeking tourist. Like the rest of humanity and the residents of Durham and Clarington, the people who live on these beautiful islands have their own explosive troubles, conflicts and frustrations.
The ending left us longing for a hope that the play did not provide. If that was deliberate, it had the desired effect, because we walked home discussing the hope that has found a home in our hearts.
- Pastor Peter
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