Fighting The Good Fight
Photo by Lawrence Tabudlo
As much as Trevor Tamashiro loves the stage, his signature theater moment actually occurred off of it.
The setting happened many years ago when he was in sixth grade. It was on a porch outside of a Waimalu Elementary School classroom, where he and a teacher were casually talking about Les Miserables, a play that was touring in the islands at the time. Up until then, Tamashiro hadn’t seen the show and yet, somehow, this brief but pivotal conversation about the popular musical is what he believes sent him on a dramatic trajectory into the world of drama.
“She talked about the power of the piece and how emotionally moving the production was,” he recalls. “I remember her mentioning the incredible set, which consisted of a turntable and barricade. But I think more than the specific production, it was a conversation about the energy and excitement of live theater.”
The conversation is also a reminder to the current executive director of Diamond Head Theatre that the arts remain a vital part of life for today’s youth.
“It’s crazy to think that something as simple as a 15-minute conversation can really impact our keiki in that way,” Tamashiro says. “That’s really what inspires me when I think about our educational programming and how much of an impact we have on our youth today.”
After being in the New York arts scene for two decades, Tamashiro returned to the islands in 2023 to assume what he calls “my dream” role at DHT. Since then, he’s set his sights on attracting more people to DHT through the renovation of its Theatrical Arts Center as well as its expansion of current programs.
The remodeled TAC will have a secondary 2,000-square-foot space for educational programming, classes, workshops and rehearsal space, with administration offices located in the front. The project’s completion is expected by next June, just in time for DHT’s Musical Theatre Experience, a summer theater camp for youth.
The summer camp is split into beginner and advanced classes, and offers both an introduction to theater as well as opportunities for experienced intermediate and high school students to strengthen their skills.
“The beauty of the program is that it introduces kids to the joy of musical theater,” says Tamashiro, whose first performance came in Waimalu Elementary School’s Christmas show at Leeward Community College. “You can come into the program with no experience and have your first experience on stage, like I did when I was in fourth grade … So, it’s really, really special to me to continue that program and to expand it as much as possible so that more kids get this experience of being on stage.”
The theater also has a performing troupe, Shooting Stars, comprised of 40 keiki ages 8-16, who put on two annual shows at DHT as well as at other venues throughout the year.
Of course, the stage isn’t limited to youth. For those age 60 and over, there is DHT’s Silver Stars class, which offers kūpuna a chance to be in the spotlight, too.
Currently, DHT hosts about 30 classes a week. Annually, it gets about 1,200 registrations to its programs — a number that Tamashiro hopes to double once TAC is completed.
Providing a high-quality arts education to the community is important to Tamashiro, especially in light of the recent funding cuts to arts and culture programs.
Such opportunities aren’t just a benefit for those pursuing theatrical careers, but also to those looking to learn valuable life skills, he adds.
“The reality is the majority of the kids in our program don’t go on to pursue performing as a career,” Tamashiro acknowledges. “They go on to other aspects, but the skills they learn here … it’s going to help them in whatever they do. It’s similar to me, because I’m not performing, but the skills I learned here are helping me till this day.”
He cites teamwork, collaboration and consistent effort as values learned through the theater experience.
“Unless you’re doing a one-person show, you’re depending on so many other people, and it’s about working together,” Tamashiro explains. “It takes a village to put on a show, and it takes a lot of hard work. You’re not just acting on stage. You’re also helping to build the set. You’re also helping to sew your costume. You’re also helping to do many different things.”
Even improv is a valuable skill to develop. The improv exercise “Yes and ?”, for example, challenges performers to keep any scene moving by responding to whatever is thrown at them.
“Personally, I’m not a good improviser, but you do (have to improvise at times) in life,” Tamashiro says. “You need to be able to pivot. You need to be able to improvise when the solutions that you want don’t work out. And that’s really helpful in learning that in the theater world and moving that into real life.”
Additionally, arts programs are instrumental in reducing juvenile crime levels, increasing SAT scores and increasing the chances of completing college, according to Americans for the Arts.
Working for DHT has been special for Tamashiro, in part because he performed two shows (Damn Yankees and The King and I) at the theater in the late 1990s.
After he became DHT’s executive director, the staff found his Damn Yankees costume in wardrobe. It was still labeled with his name.
“I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for theater, if it wasn’t for the arts,” says Tamashiro, a graduate of Punahou School.
“Growing up here … (at) Diamond Head Theatre, was really special to me because it allowed me to express myself,” he adds. “It allowed me to be creative. It allowed me to feel comfortable, to feel seen. And so now coming back full circle and being able to actually lead this place is really incredible and really, really special for me to be able to give back to a community that helped raise me.”
Tamashiro is a veteran of the local theater scene. Aside from his past work with DHT, he’s also performed at Punahou, the former Army Community Theatre, Kumu Kahua Theatre and Hawaiʻi Ballet Theatre.
His love for theater led him to the mainland where he received a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from University of Miami and a master’s in nonprofit management from Columbia University.
When Tamashiro moved to the Big Apple, he was heavily involved in the arts scene, working for Broadway Dance Center, a renowned drop-in dance studio and educational institution. He also performed on stage until suffering a severe hamstring injury in 2008. The impairment forced him to shift his focus elsewhere in theater, and led to an internship with The Drama League, a New York arts advocacy organization that helps young directors.
Eventually, he moved into the nonprofit sector, becoming the chief advancement officer at the Diller-Quaile School of Music, which specializes in classical and folk music.
Tamashiro says he always knew he’d ultimately return to the islands, and settling at DHT was “a little bit of fate” and the “universe telling (him) it’s time to move back.”
Despite his work with many different nonprofits, Tamashiro says none can compare with DHT.
One of his favorite parts of DHT is its staff — comprised of 20 paid employees and hundreds of volunteers who can be found on stage and as invaluable behind-the-scenes crew members.
“The staff here is so passionate about what they do. They care about the art form, they care about the community, and they will go above and beyond to ensure that this community is taken care of. And that’s really special,” Tamashiro says.
“I do not take it for granted that I’m here. I feel very blessed and very humbled to be given the opportunity and the responsibility to lead this organization,” he concludes. “Theater is in my blood. It’s what I feel like I was put on this earth to do and to create art and to spread joy in the community. I will always be in the theater world and will continue to do it for the rest of my life.”
