Lehua's Blood

by Shanti Reinhardt

Set in the spring of 1977 and against the backdrop of the struggle between Native Hawaiian activists (P.K.O.) and the U.S. Military for Kaho’olawe, Lehua’s Blood takes us on a whirlwind journey from Kaua’i to deep in the Valley of the Kings, Waipi’o on Hawai’i Island. The Castillo ‘ohana battles against the changing of the tide and the suffocating torment of eldest son and Vietnam Vet Alika’s PTSD as it...

Set in the spring of 1977 and against the backdrop of the struggle between Native Hawaiian activists (P.K.O.) and the U.S. Military for Kaho’olawe, Lehua’s Blood takes us on a whirlwind journey from Kaua’i to deep in the Valley of the Kings, Waipi’o on Hawai’i Island. The Castillo ‘ohana battles against the changing of the tide and the suffocating torment of eldest son and Vietnam Vet Alika’s PTSD as it threatens to tear their world apart. This mo’olelo (story) reminds us that in a world where the fight at times seems constant, the only way to truly win is to release your hilahila (shame) and step out of Pō (darkness) and into Ao (light).

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Lehua's Blood

Recommended by

  • Playwrights Foundation: Lehua's Blood by Shanti Reinhardt
    “

    The community of National Committee readers for the 47th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced Lehua’s Blood as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We felt drawn to the rich symbolic world of this play, which ties together kānaka maoli politics, olelo Hawai’i, endemic species, and more. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production.

    The community of National Committee readers for the 47th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced Lehua’s Blood as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We felt drawn to the rich symbolic world of this play, which ties together kānaka maoli politics, olelo Hawai’i, endemic species, and more. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production.

    ”

Awards

  • BAPF47
    Bay Area Playwrights Foundation
    Semi-Finalist
    2025