In August of 2011, 18 students and alumni from the Nanakuli Performing Arts Center traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland to perform at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There, they discovered a world outside of Nanakuli...one filled with other high school students and professionals who share their love for performing arts. At the same time, they reinforced the strong family bonds between themselves that had already been established on the west side of Oahu. In "Dream Big: Nanakuli At The Fringe," PBS Hawaii tells the story of this journey from Nanakuli to Scotland and back...and how a small Performing Arts company shapes the lives of the students and alumni of Nanakuli Performing Arts Center.
Storyteller/director of "Dream Big: Nanakuli At The Fringe," Roy Kimura, said, "I am proud and humbled to be the writer/director of "Dream Big: Nanakuli At The Fringe." PBS Hawaii has given me an extraordinary opportunity to learn life's lessons from a group of passionate, dedicated young adults. Over 14 days, the students and alumni of Nanakuli Performing Arts Center (NPAC) represented Nanakuli, Hawaii, and the United States as they travelled in London, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland. Throughout the trip, they shared the aloha spirit with fellow high school performers, the residents of the United Kingdom, and everyone who came in contact with them. And they showed the world that Nanakuli represents pride, respect, and family."
The Fringe Festival is the largest and most prestigious arts festival in the world. Over a thousand performing companies attend, and the whole city becomes a stage. The NPAC performed for the American High School Theatre Festival held at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There were over 2000 high schools nominated to perform for the American High School Theatre Festival from across the country and only 62 schools selected to perform.
"We are excited to re-live our Fringe experience and to share with the state what the NPAC program means to us through the documentary," said Samuel Hedin, cast member.
