2025-2026 Cohort
Noa Gardner
Noa Gardner is a Native Hawaiian poet and playwright born and raised in Kaimuki on the island of O’ahu. He recently graduated from the University of Southern California with an MFA Dramatic Writing. Noa investigates different aspects of Hawaiian culture, people, as well as his own family, through his writing. Much of his work centers on family dramas, specifically Hawaiian families in Hawaiian homes. He was a national finalist for the Gary Garrison Ten Minute play award (2016) and has had his plays read in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Son of Semele Ensemble, Los Angeles Theatre Company, and Pasadena Playhouse.
Sean Dunnington
Sean Dunnington is a New York–based playwright from Hawai‘i Island. His plays include Failed Artist, Jew Bash, The Children's Farm, Zap, Flat Fish, and Hawaiian Shake. His work has been produced nationally and internationally, with premieres and showings at TheatreLab (Off-Broadway), Magic Theatre, Lounge Theatre, LAMDA, Centre 42 (Singapore), as well as in libraries, state museums, old attics, public radio stations, film festivals, and LGBTQ+ centers. Sean has been a resident playwright with the Orchard Project, Centre 42, East-West Center, Waiwai Collective, and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He has received fellowships from MacDowell, the Dramatists Guild Foundation, Magic Theatre, Creative Labs Hawai‘i, the National Collaborative for Health Equity, the California Arts Council, and the Henry Luce Foundation. He is the founding director of Tree Moss. Sean holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts (2024) and a BA in Applied Playwriting from the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands (2019).
Keali'iwahine
Hokoana-Gormley
Kealiʻiwahine Hokoana (she, her) is a Native Hawaiian dramatist from the island of Maui. She received her BA in Hawaiian Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, her AA in Liberal Arts from University of Maui College and her high school degree from the Kamehameha Schools. In 2003 she co-founded a local 501(c) 3 non-profit theater company in Hawaiʻi called Talking Stories, where she wrote and produced many of the productions. Keaʻs plays have shown all over Hawaiʻi and even at The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her play “The Legend of Kaululaʻau” was housed at the Ritz-Carlton-Kapalua for about a year. Her play “Koi, Like the Fish” was made into a film and shown all across Maui by the Office on Aging as an impetus for discussion about elder abuse. She is in her third year of being a member of Tree Moss.
Mākena Miller
Mākena Miller (She/They/Mak) grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mak moved to New York City and experienced her first winter (yikes!) when she attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and as a result Mak now has a proper winter coat. Soon after Mak dove into improv at UCB (advanced study), as well as other comedy theaters in New York. Mākena has an MFA in Acting from American Conservatory Theater and trained with Philippe Gaulier, CLOWN ALERT!
Mak co-wrote, produced, and performed in her play, 3HAMS. After touring 3HAMS in Brooklyn, they brought it to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024!
Daniel Akiyama
Daniel Akiyama is the author of the full-length plays A Cage of Fireflies (Sundance Institute Theatre Lab selection; O’Neill finalist) and Games for Boys (Sundance and O’Neill finalist). His short plays include Udder Paradise, The Bitter Fury and Magnificent Vengeance of Don Clown, and an adaptation of The Yellow Wallpaper. Daniel has worked with members of the Keakalehua Playwrights Hui on Searching for Keaka and Waiau, two experiments in linked collaborative writing. A graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Daniel studied playwriting with Dennis Carroll, Y York, Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, and Daniel A. Kelin II. He’s a member of the Dramatists Guild, New Play Exchange, and Tree Moss Playwrights, is honored to serve on the board of directors of Keakalehua and on the community advisory board for the Edward Sakamoto Collection at UH Mānoa, and was a nominee for the 2023 United States Artists Fellowship.
Hannah Ii-Epstein
Hannah Ii-Epstein (she/her/hers) was born and raised on the North Shore of ʻOahu and received her MFA at Northwestern University. She is a creative writer, award winning dramatist, and Artistic Director of Nothing Without a Company. Hannah is a founding member of BearCat Productions, a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists, a 50th season writer at Kumu Kahua Theatre, a board member at Aloha Center Chicago, and a member of the Ke Aliʻi Victoria Kaʻiulani Hawaiian Civic Club, Ke Kula Kupaa O Ka Pakipika hālau, and Tree Moss a professional collective for Hawaiʻi playwrights. Hannah is a 2021 recipient of 3Arts Make a Wave grant and About Face Theatre’s Playwright Artist Grant. In 2023, Hannah worked as a Co-Curator on "Chicago’s Legacy Hula” exhibit at The Field Museum (closing March 9, 2025) as well as a panelist and playwright at the first ever APIDA Arts Festival in Chicago, IL.
Jeannie Barroga
Jeannie Barroga, Lifetime Member-Dramatists Guild, San Francisco, is a nationally produced playwright whose works are archived at Stanford Green Library Special Collections. Having served as both Artistic Directors and literary managers for local theaters, she writes on social justice, art, and women. Awards (selected): - the Gerbode/Hewlett Foundations grant for Buffalo’ed (Buffalo Soldiers 1899); - the NEA Access to Artistic Excellence Grant for Walls (Maya Lin); and - the Arty for Best Original Production for Banyan (allegory post 9-1-1). Ms. Barroga had mentored and dramaturged Sabi Sabi with Pintig participants which was eventually directed by Edgar de la Cruz (d.), California State University- East Bay, Bay Area. In 2024 she dramaturged Hawai’ian playwright Noa Gardner’s work, Nan, for the 42nd Bay Area Playwrights Foundation at the Magic Theater. Following that, she conducted a Master Class in Writing and Dramaturgy. She has directed at LaMama's New York and is produced at: TheatreWorks, Bindlestiff, Brava, Asian American Theater, El Teatro Campesino, Pan Asian New York, Mark Taper Forum, San Jose Stage; New World, Kumu Kahua, Asian American Rep; and elsewhere. She has plays published by Amherst Press, Routledge Press, etc. TURN RIGHT AT THE WATER BUFFALO, is published by Regent Press 2021. Projects: dramaturg BANPF 42; Magic Master Class; LMDA article; Katatagan book; Keakalehua Playwrights readings (ongoing).
Website: www.jeanniebarroga.com
KIKI RIVERA
Kiki Rivera (he/him) is an internationally produced, theatre artist, educator, and arts activist. They hold a BA in Theatre and MFA in Playwriting from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). Original plays include Faʻalavelave: The Interruption. Published plays include “Puzzy” (featuring New Zealand Playwright Victor Rodger) in the anthology Samoan Queer Lives, “To Our Black and Brown Babies of Ocean and Islands” in the anthology We’re Not Neutral, and “Kumu Kukui” in Lighting the Way: An Anthology of Short Plays About The Climate Crises.
JOSHUA "BABA" TAVARES
Joshua "Baba" Tavares (he/him) is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) actor, singer, dancer, writer, director and teacher based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. He received his MFA in Acting and Hana Keaka (Hawaiian Theatre) from UH Mānoa, and now is the head of acting there, serving as the newest Assistant Professor of Acting
Known for his standout performance as Angel in the 20th Anniversary National Tour of the Broadway musical RENT, he's also a pioneer in Hawaiʻi's theatre scene, originating captivating roles and creating original works including: Haku Wale and Glitter in the Paʻakai.
He also has credits in TV/Film with his most recent co-starring role in Fox's Rescue HI Surf. You can also catch him singing in Cirque du Soleil's sensational Waikīkī show, ʻAUANA.
Baba is a passionate storyteller, artist and teacher. His deep commitment to his craft, community and lāhui shines both on and off the stage and screen.