|
Picks of the Week 5
Saint Damien at Iao Theater
|
September 07, 2011 | 02:47 PM Sept. 10-12 (Saturday-Monday), 7:30pm (Sat, Sun)/6:30pm (Mon), Iao Theater (68 N. Market St., Wailuku); free
Today, we know that leprosy (Hansen's disease) isn't as horrifyingly contagious as folklore attests. It's treatable, the afflicted's limbs don't really fall off (though if untreated it is highly disfiguring, and can cause nasal and joint cartilage to dissolve), and 95 percent of the population is naturally immune. But since biblical times, those affected by this chronic bacterial disease have been socially ostracized by its stigma of impurity; an analogy for sin and oft the repercussion of the Judeo-Christian god's smiting judgment. (Interesting note: there are 68 references to leprosy in The Bible—55 in the Old Testament and 13 in the New Testament—but scholars suggest "leprosy" may have described many types of skin ailments and perhaps even respiratory ailments.) The most famous martyr of charity for lepers' plight is Father—now Saint—Damien, who landed in the Hawaiian Islands (via Belgium) in 1864 and was the first to volunteer to minister to the needs of a forcefully quarantined settlement (per the legislature's 1865 "Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy") at Kalaupapa on Molokai. Canonized in 2009, evermore attention has been rightfully cast on this Hawaiian hero, and Saint Damien's legend has continued to grow. "There is a lot of myth about the man," says linguist and professor Vinnie Linares, who this weekend reprises his role in Damien, the hit one-man show by Aldyth Morris. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the show's inception, Linares says that over the last decade the show's raised over $50,000 for local charities. As a way to say thank you to the Maui community—made possible by the support of the Hawaii Tourism Authority and County of Maui—this weekend's three performances at the Iao Theater are entirely free. Linares, who last performed Damien in April 2010, says some of the insight he's gained from the role is that "The bottom line is to help people—irrespective of religion." Further he explains that Saint Damien "was a very emotional and passionate man" and that the show gives "audiences a chance to see the man—not the myth; the human being beyond the saint." 242-6969; mauionstage.com
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| Entertainment and lifestyle news for Maui, Hawaii and the surrounding Islands. Maui Time Weekly is Mauis only independent and locally owned newspaper.
Mail this link to a friend |
|
|
