Emma Tai's '07.5 "The Forgetting Machine," investigates the connections between history, memory and time.
In the play, showing until Nov. 2 at the Rites and Reason Theatre, protagonist Grace Chang (Betty Hua '12 and Caitlin Ho '10) explores the importance of history and her Hawaiian heritage in the poignant production.
"The Forgetting Machine" centers on Chang's efforts to write a speech that she will give at the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Chang struggles to write a politically acceptable speech that honestly portrays her heritage and the history of Hawaii, including stories that remember the suffering of the state's indigenous people.
Mr. Yakamoto, the principal of Chang's school (Teng Yang '11), pushes Grace to cut out all references to this darker side of Hawaii's past. He is concerned that such references would reflect badly on the school and might cause Grace to lose her chance at winning the Dole Pineapple Scholarship, which would enable her to attend college.
As she writes her speech in post-Sept. 11 Hawaii, Grace observes historical moments that represent the effects of U.S. imperialism. She learns about unjust political consequences, like the 1893 resignation of Queen Lili`uokalani (Kai Morrell '11) and the racial tensions spurred by U.S. control.
The whole story is presented as one unending scene, where the characters never leave the stage. This presentation reinforces the fact that elements of the past are always with us, whether or not we choose to remember them. Thus, the play highlights the tension between the need to remember and the desire to forget the horrors of the past.
In the question-and-answer session that follows all Sunday performances at Rites and Reason, director Connie Crawford, adjunct lecturer in theatre, speech and dance, explained the significance of the author's choice to make the majority of the play's character's female.
Donna Edmonds Mitchell, who played Aina, or the land, also contributed to the explanation. "It represents an unspoken culture. Often, in indigenous cultures, women hold power and the men speak, but usually not without going into counsel with the women," Mitchell said.
Cast members also discussed their reactions to the script itself during the question and answers.
"The first thing that struck me was that it was all about the saddest parts of Hawaiian history. It's really not all that bad," Morrell said. "It was hard to balance that with how beautiful Hawaii is."
"For me, it was a realization that the extent to which I knew about Hawaii was all about luaus, leis and the Dole pineapple. I was very angry that I had never heard of these parts of Hawaiian history before," Ho said. "It became very important to me to share this other side of Hawaii."
"I grew up on the Elvis Presley story of Hawaii - one where everybody is happy," Crawford said. "It is one told all too often. I learned a lot researching about this play. I'm still learning."
"The Forgetting Machine" runs through Nov. 2.
