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The Almost Forgotten Hawaiian Story
Moses Goods, III, in
by By Samantha Campos
May 05, 2005
Of all the Hawaiian myths and folklore, the legend of Kaulula’au is not the most well-known. Not even close. And yet, it’s an important and exciting part of Hawaiian culture, especially in the telling of Maui and Lana’i history. Kaulula’au was a real man and notable Maui chief, born to a woman resurrected from the dead and then banished to the ghost-ridden island of Lana’i for mischievous behavior. Talk about drama!
The tale of Kaulula’au was adapted from a story by W.N. Pualewa, translated into script by Keali’iwahine Hokoana and made into an extraordinary one-man act featuring Moses Goods, III, who performs no less than nine characters in the story.
Goods is an accomplished actor last seen in Kumu Kahua Theater’s Gone Feeshing at the McCoy Studio Theater in 2004. Recently, I spoke with him about his experience preserving Hawai’i’s ancient art form of storytelling.
Why did you decide to do this particular story?
It wasn’t my idea. It was my director/writer/producer Kea [Keali’iwahine Hokoana]—she does everything. She saw my last play at the MACC and asked me to do this. It’s been a learning experience.
How so?
I’d never done a one-man act before. I’ve had to learn how to rely on myself. In other plays, you have other actors to support you. If you make a mistake, you have someone to back you up. In this, I have to cover myself. I also have a lot of freedom, so at the same time, I don’t have accountability for other actors.
That sounds pretty rewarding.
Yeah, it is. Because it’s only me, I’m better able to feed off the audience—it’s a greater give and take. The reaction so far has been good, really good. I think it’s because the play is well scripted. You know, a one-man act has the potential to be boring. But this just flows, from narration into characterization.
Where are you from?
I’m from Maui but I moved to Oahu nine years ago and studied acting at the University of Hawai’i. I did some community theater there, as well as some minor film projects.
Do you ever get tired of performing the same play every week?
It’s different every time because there’s a different audience every time. I try to be flexible and to keep it fresh. I like the intimate, small space of the Ritz-Carlton theater because it allows the audience to be a part of what’s going on. The play is contracted to run through to November. It’s good to “take it on the road” by performing at the MACC. It’s a bigger space so there’ll be a different energy.
Have you ever seen a ghost?
I haven’t had any experiences with ghosts. But my mom grew up in Hana, in a house where spiritual things were going on. It does seem to be something that the older [people] know about. It’s lost nowadays. I guess we just don’t look at that as a part of who we are anymore. Times change and those things fade.
How is this play important to you, personally?
This is the first show I’ve done that’s really a part of the Hawaiian culture. I’ve done everything from Shakespeare to kabuki—as many genres as possible. But I’ve never done a show like this. I was really interested in bringing back a lost form. And making a connection with a part of my culture.
Did you know of Kaulula’au before this performance?
No. He’s such an important person. Yet how many people have heard of him?
What were you doing before this play started?
I was on my way to L.A. My parents wanted me to chase my dream. But I’m still fairly young, and decided to stay for them to help establish this restaurant. They opened Pulehu BBQ a year and a half ago. It’s going well but it usually takes about three years to get a restaurant going. After that, I will continue to drift along.
What are you helping them with?
I’m in the process of building a food wagon for them, like a food cart, to take to Kihei or Lahaina and sell our food. It would be fun for me ‘cause then I could just go surf, too.
What do you want to do in the future?
I’d love to be able to act for the rest of my life. And if that includes making some money, then that’s ideal. But I just want to somehow be involved with my craft. MTW