When Lele Wale premiered at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹’s in March, audiences embraced the original hana keaka (Hawaiian theatre work) inspired by the lived experiences of Lahaina after the 2023 Maui wildfires. This August, the production reaches the destination it was always meant for, home.
A company of 25 students, alumni, faculty and theatre professionals from UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ will travel to Lahaina for four performances from August 7–8. Six members of the cast and crew are from Maui, including three cast members from Lahaina whose personal experiences helped shape the production.
For Maui native Ikaika Mendez, a UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ master of fine arts candidate in and the writer and director of Lele Wale, bringing the production home is both meaningful and humbling.
“I’m hoping that, even though we’re three years later, it still sparks hope, it still sparks joy, and it still reveals to the community that the people are what make the place, and the place is what makes the people. I’m hoping this is a timeless experience where people can reminisce, but also have hope for a better future.”
Related UH News story: Lahaina¡¯s story lives in new hana keaka production, February 5, 2026.
For Lahaina
Rather than recreating the tragedy of the fires, Lele Wale creates space for reflection, healing and connection through Hawaiian theatre, hula, music and storytelling.
Lele is the traditional place name for Lahaina. In ʻ¨±ô±ð±ô´Ç Â鶹´«Ã½ (Hawaiian language), lele wale evokes prayer and speaks to motion, as well as the act of releasing. The hana keaka is performed in a combination of ʻ¨±ô±ð±ô´Ç Â鶹´«Ã½, Â鶹´«Ã½ Creole English (Pidgin) and English intertwined with live music, hula and imagery.
The Lahaina performances are presented in partnership with Festivals of Aloha, with support from Hawaiian Airlines and the Wave of Harmony Foundation. Their sponsorship is helping transport the cast, crew and production from Oʻahu to Maui so the story can be shared with the community that inspired it.
“The significance of this hana keaka traveling to Lahaina is in the intention and creation of the work,” said Tammy ±á²¹¾±±ô¾±ʻ¨±è³Ü²¹ Baker, director and founder of the UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Hawaiian Theatre program. “The moʻ¨±ô±ð±ô´Ç (story) encapsulated in Lele Wale was developed by a kama (child) of Maui for their community.”
As Lahaina marks three years since the wildfires, Lele Wale returns not as a finished work, but as an offering. It honors those who were lost, celebrates the strength of those who remain, and reminds audiences that the heart of Lahaina has always been and continues to be its people.
Ticket information
Performances are scheduled for Friday, August 7, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Saturday, August 8, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Haleakal¨¡ Ballroom at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa. .