Smile, Darn Ya: Multigenerational Reader's Theatre in Honolulu

Smile, darn ya - A Reader's Theatre presentation brings a rare kind of local storytelling to Honolulu. Meeting at The Brad Powell Theatre on Iwilei Road, this two‑hour reader’s theatre adapts a multigenerational memoir and family poetry collection into an intimate staged experience that reads like a living archive. At its center are three women and the lines they saved: Adeline Alzina Keyes Canning, whose poems and letters span back to the early twentieth century; Donna, the daughter who preserved every scrap; and Laurie, the granddaughter who carried their voice across islands and decades. You’ll hear Adeline’s sharp humor and steady resilience—she graduated university in 1906, taught at seventeen, and raised nine children through the Great Depression—alongside the astonishing story of Walter, a World War II civilian prisoner who survived years in a Japanese prison camp after the fall of Wake Island. Those historical edges give the performance its weight. The production is less about spectacle and more about listening: voices that move from playful epigram to full‑bodied recollection, framed by handwritten notes and family anecdotes. In a city known for surf and volcanic ridgelines, this presentation is a reminder that Honolulu’s cultural terrain includes intimate domestic histories as much as ocean horizons. The Brad Powell Theatre’s compact stage makes every aside and punctuation breathe; it’s the kind of show that rewards close attention and quiet response. Practical details are simple: the meeting point is The Brad Powell Theatre; the run time is roughly two hours. Bring a notebook if you like marginalia, and arrive early to take in the lobby and program notes. Because the material spans nearly a century, listeners with an interest in American social history, World War II civilian narratives, family lore, poetry, or creative non‑fiction will find themselves particularly engaged. This reader’s theatre doubles as a community act of preservation—Donna’s careful stewardship and Laurie’s later edits make the book a local keepsake as much as an American family chronicle. For travelers who usually chase peaks or tidepools, Smile, Darn Ya is an invitation to match terrain with text: a gentler, slow‑moving exploration along the cultural pathways of Honolulu. If you’re in town for the harbor, a sunset at nearby piers, or a morning walk toward Diamond Head, carve out an evening to sit and listen—this is the kind of small performance that leaves a long echo. Performances are accessible to both visitors and locals; check seating and ticket details before arriving and consider combining the evening with a dinner in downtown Honolulu or the waterfront near Iwilei for a full night out. The intimacy of reader’s theatre makes it ideal for small groups, history buffs, poetry fans, and anyone curious about family memory told aloud.