{"id":1130,"date":"2026-06-09T12:36:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1130"},"modified":"2026-06-09T12:36:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:36:39","slug":"memory-beads-at-kumu-kahua-theatre-highlights-familys-journey-with-alzheimers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1130","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Memory Beads\u2019 at Kumu Kahua Theatre highlights family\u2019s journey with Alzheimer\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A new play at Kumu Kahua Theatre is bringing together culture, family and Alzheimer\u2019s awareness.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Wildest Show\u2019 summer concert series celebrates 40 years at Honolulu Zoo<\/a><\/p>\n

The production is called \u201cMemory Beads,\u201d written by playwright Diane Aoki. Actors Sanae Tokumura and Denise Aiko Chinen play two of the main characters.<\/p>\n

Tokumura plays Haruko, who is living with Alzheimer\u2019s. Haruko\u2019s experience deeply disturbs her daughter, Joni, portrayed by Chinen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main character, Joni, who realizes that Alzheimer\u2019s runs in her family, knows that Alzheimer\u2019s runs in her family and is worried that she might also be afflicted with it,\u201d Aoki said.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Mission to preserve stories inspired by real-life experience<\/h1>\n

Aoki said the play includes moments of humor and laughter alongside the realities of Alzheimer\u2019s and its impacts.<\/p>\n

She said Joni is focused on preserving stories from her mother as she notices memory loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has a kind of like a mission to preserve the stories from her mother,\u201d Aoki explained, \u201cso the memory beads is the collection of stories, as many stories that she can get from her mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aoki said her inspiration was drawn from personal experiences about 10 years ago, when she was dealing with her mother\u2019s aging issues.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI had the similar kind of issue that I was dealing with with my mother, which she was losing her hearing,\u201d Aoki said. \u201cBasically it had to do with because I was dealing with my mother\u2019s aging issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Passing down family history and culture<\/h1>\n

The play also follows Joni\u2019s effort to share with her daughter the importance of her family\u2019s immigration from Okinawa and other aspects of culture and family, Aoki said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a story to be shared. I hope that it will inspire others to, you know, to not hold back on getting the stories from their friends and families,\u201d Aoki said.<\/p>\n

Liza Sanchez co-directed the play with Julia Gilman. Sanchez said working with the cast while taking on a serious subject was rewarding.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cJust working with all the cast and also, you know, being able to deal with, you know, such a range in subject matter. This really is a show that I think could touch anybody,\u201d Sanchez said.<\/p>\n

Other cast members include Camden Colipano, Gabriella Gualano, Joy Turbeville, Kirstyn Trombetta, Kristen Misaki, Matthew Nakamura, Pauli Amornkul, and Stu Hirayama.<\/p>\n

\u201cMemory Beads\u201d runs through June 28 at Kumu Kahua Theatre in downtown Honolulu. More information is available at www.kumukahua.org.<\/p>\n

Read more HMSA delays primary care payment shift, extends transition to 2027<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cMemory Beads\u201d at Kumu Kahua Theatre follows a woman collecting her family\u2019s stories as Alzheimer\u2019s takes hold of her mother.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1129,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Memory Beads\u2019 at Kumu Kahua Theatre highlights family\u2019s journey with Alzheimer\u2019s - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1130\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Memory Beads\u2019 at Kumu Kahua Theatre highlights family\u2019s journey with Alzheimer\u2019s - 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