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View photos of mural details.
Lobby Mural
Our lobby mural was commissioned by the State Foundation of Culture and the Arts, Arts in Public Places program. The work is 23 feet high and 104 feet long and it took Jean Charlot and his team three months to complete (from February 14 to May 17, 1974).
Jean Charlot was a distinguished artist and teacher, known primarily for his sculptures, murals, and frescos. He was born in Paris in 1898 and lived in Hawai’i from 1949 until his death in 1979. Leeward Community College is very fortunate to have one of his greatest works done in fresco. It is one of the largest works he ever created and it reveals his love for Hawai’i and the Hawaiian people.
Fresco is the Italian word for fresh. In art, fresco painting is a method of painting on plaster while it is still wet, or “fresh.” The colors amalgamate with the plaster during the drying process and the painting literally becomes part of the wall. Charlot was a member of a quartet of muralists who set the modern standard for this art form in the 1920s. This group of artists also included Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco.
Theatre Staff
Donald Ranney – Technical Director
Don grew up in the Territory of Hawaii after circling the globe with his family and began working at Leeward Community College Theatre in 1977. He has a BA degree in English from Chaminade University (then Chaminade College), and an MFA in Theatre from UH Mānoa. Don has worked with and designed shows for just about every theatre and dance company on O`ahu, and his former students have been fixtures on the local theatre scene for decades.
Sarah Whitehead – Technical Director
Sarah has been at Leeward Theatre since 1986 when she began as a student worker while pursuing an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts. She also holds a BA in Psychology from UH West Oahu, a Certificate in substance abuse counseling, and is a licensed contractor in theatre. She has won three Po`okela Awards for lighting design at Leeward Theatre. Sarah has three adult children and two young grandchildren.
Upcoming Performances
Past Seasons
Mrs. Krishnanʻs Party (2019-2020)
Award-winning New Zealand based Indian Ink Theatre Company returns to Honolulu with a production of Mrs. Krishnan’s Party and you’re invited!
Step into the back room of Mrs. Krishnan’s dairy where garlands decorate the ceiling, music flows and Mrs. Krishnan is throwing a party like no other. Food simmers on the stove, laughter abounds and strangers become friends in this joyous celebration of life.
“Mrs Krishnan’s Party is a triumph of both interactive theatre and human spirit.” -Sarah Kidd, reviewer
Makalapua (2022-2023)
Peaceful action through mele: A musical exploration of Queen Lili‘uokalani
The Lili‘u Project presents Makalapua, the latest in an ongoing series of performances that feature Queen Lili‘uokalani’s mele in novel ways. The project is dedicated to investigating Liliʻuokalani’s music and memoirs, guided by her own free-spirited innovation and interest in contemporary trends. This multifaceted production explores the emotional and spiritual influence her compositions have had, and continue to have.
Mrs. Krishnanʻs Party (2019-2020)
Award-winning New Zealand based Indian Ink Theatre Company returns to Honolulu with a production of Mrs. Krishnan’s Party and you’re invited!
Step into the back room of Mrs. Krishnan’s dairy where garlands decorate the ceiling, music flows and Mrs. Krishnan is throwing a party like no other. Food simmers on the stove, laughter abounds and strangers become friends in this joyous celebration of life.
“Mrs Krishnan’s Party is a triumph of both interactive theatre and human spirit.” -Sarah Kidd, reviewer
Secret in the Wings (2019-2020)
A little girl named Kris10 has been left with a mysterious Neighbor for the evening. With rising horror, we listen as the Neighbor regales Kris10 with fairy tales that grow darker and darker… and we watch as his terrifying characters come to life…
…and then we notice that the Neighbor has a tail.
In The Secret in the Wings, Tony-winning playwright Mary Zimmerman adapts a collection of lesser-known fairy tales for a theatrical work that sets their shadowy mystery against her signature wit and humor…
Folks You Meet at Longs (2018-2019)
A play by Lee Cataluna
Leeward Lab Theatre
In The Heights (2018-2019)
The Leeward Theatre celebrated our GRAND REOPENING by presenting
the Tony Award Winning Broadway Musical; In The Heights!
In The Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. In The Heights is the winner of the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations.
“An exuberant, animated shrine to the importance of family ties and being faithful to where you come from.”
— Ben Brantley, The New York Times
In The Heights (2018-2019)
The Leeward Theatre celebrated our GRAND REOPENING by presenting
the Tony Award Winning Broadway Musical; In The Heights!
In The Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. In The Heights is the winner of the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations.
“An exuberant, animated shrine to the importance of family ties and being faithful to where you come from.”
— Ben Brantley, The New York Times
Tau Dance Theatre Presents Ho‘ina (2018-2019)
Ho‘ina, translated from ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, refers to “one’s returning,” articulating the theme of the evening. Join artist in residence Peter Rockford Espiritu and Tau Dance Theater bringing together an enchanting night of dance, music, and performance art. Tau Dance Theater presents its first Hawai`i production in 7 years featuring singers, Melveen Leed, Starr Kalahiki, and Mahi`ai Kekumu, with aerialist Andrea Torres at the newly renovated Leeward Theatre.
The Lullaby Project (2015-2016)
Featuring the Leeward Community College Hawaiian Ensemble
Directed by John Signor
Venue and Facility Rentals/Visitor Info
Venue and Facility Rentals
Leeward Theatre has been a primary performance venue for many of Oahu’s top-performing arts schools and organizations for decades. With our professional staff, state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment, and recently-renovated auditorium, we are the venue of choice for dance, music, theatre, and professional events in Central and West O‘ahu.
If you are interested in renting our theatre, please see the rental information below, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Theatre Features
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- 628-seat auditorium, fully accessible for wheelchair access with companion seating
- A 50′ by 20′ proscenium with a stage depth of 45 feet
- Auxiliary spaces including scene shop, 2 small and 2 large dressing rooms, 80-seat lab theatre, and two dance studios
- A large orchestra pit that may be raised for additional performance space or lowered for additional seating
Rental Information
Keep your Student record updated
- Make sure you’re going to meet all of your degree requirements.
Keep your student record updated.
Rental Process
Our facilities are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to Leeward Theatre and Leeward Performing Arts department productions, Leeward CC classes and student activities, and performing arts events sponsored by Leeward CC departments and organizations. Outside organizations may rent our facilities using the following steps:
- Application received
- Confirmation of dates and an estimate sent in 5-7 business days
- Non-refundable $500.00 Booking deposit due within 7 days of estimate
- Facilities Use Agreement, 50% Rental Deposit, and Tech meeting do within 45 – 60 days of Rental (Scheduled no later than the 15th of the previous month.)
- Certificate of Insurance due 30 days before the event.
- A/C Janitor’s Report due by the 15th of each month for the following months’ events.
- Event occurs
- Daily reports are completed for events by staff present for each day of rental.
- Cost Detail goes out 5-7 business days after each event.
Campus Users
Leeward Community College affiliated departments and organizations may request the use of the theatre on a space-available basis. Events that require additional staffing or take place on nights or weekends may incur personnel charges to your department.
Campus events must:
-
- Benefit Leeward students
- Have a valid reason for taking place in the Theatre, such as
- Your audience will not fit in other campus facilities
- Your event is a performing arts presentation
Please fill out a Campus Inquiry form and have it signed by your department chairperson for approval. Completed forms may be emailed to ltheatre@hawaii.edu.
Visitor Info
DIRECTIONS
Google Maps location/directions to Leeward CC, 96-045 Ala Ike, Pearl City, HI 96782
From Honolulu: Take the H-1 Freeway, ‘Ewa bound, to the Pearl City exit (exit #10). The middle lane of the exit leads you directly to Moanalua Road. Proceed west on Moanalua Road. Turn left onto Waimano Home Road and continue until you reach Kamehameha Hwy. Turn right onto Kamehameha Hwy., following the Leeward CC directional signs and staying in the far left lane. Continue driving straight past the intersection at Home Depot. Staying in the far left lane, you’ll drive under an overpass and make the first left turn after the overpass onto Waiawa Road. Continue until Waiawa Road ends and make a right turn at the stop sign onto Ala ‘Ike.
From All Points ‘Ewa: Follow signs to PEARL CITY until reaching Farrington Highway. Follow the Leeward CC directional signs, making a right turn onto Waiawa Road, the direct access road to campus. Continue until Waiawa Road ends and make a right turn at the stop sign onto Ala ‘Ike.
We are located on the Diamond Head side of campus. Click here for a campus map.
ACCESSIBILITY
The accessible entrance to the theatre is via the Diamond Head parking lot. Take the first left into campus after turning right onto Ala `Ike. Park and proceed down the walkway past the ED building.
The theatre is equipped with several wheelchair-accessible seating areas and companion seats. Please call us at (808) 455-0380 if you need assistance.
CONTACT INFO
Campus Security:
455-0611 (on-campus): 611 Office: LA 238
*If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911.
For situations involving (non-emergency) concerning behaviors, contact our Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) team.
Contact Us
96-045 Ala ‘Ike
Room TH-207
Pearl City, HI 96782
Office: (808) 455-0380
Box Office: (808) 455-0385
ltheatre@hawaii.edu