Kumu Kahua is a theater that celebrates and examines life in Hawaii, showcasing some of the state's most talented actors, directors, playwrights and technicians. The theater stages plays about life in Hawaii, plays by Hawaiian playwrights, and plays for Hawaii's people. The 100-seat playhouse is an intimate affair, the perfect setting to watch world premieres by local playwrights such as Dennis Carroll, Lee Cataluna, Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, Edward Sakamoto and Lee A. Tonouchi. Performances have included notable favorites such as "Ghosts in the Plague Year," "The Great Kaua'i Train Robbery" and "It's All Relative." Another unique aspect of the theater is that it encourages actors to use their natural local dialect or accent. Many of the plays are written in Hawaii Creole English. The theater promotes local talent by offering classes in acting and writing, as well as sponsoring an annual playwriting contest. Located in Honolulu, Kumu Kahua Theatre was founded in 1971.
The U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii was once a bastion built to protect Hawaii from foreign invaders. Today, it tells the military story of Hawaii from its Polynesian beginning to the Vietnam conflict. The story that unfolds at the Army Museum details the men and the machines that protected a nation.
The USS Missouri Memorial stands as a testament to the winning will of the U.S. military in World War II, and also as a icon of strength to her devoted crew that spanned three generations. Nicknamed the Mighty Mo, the Battleship Missouri served through three wars. Today she is devoted to preserving the stories and memories of former crew members and other veterans through oral history recordings and transcriptions. Specially trained guides take visitors on a tour of the ship. In fact, part of the tour recreates the footsteps of General Douglas MacArthur.