These past few months have been a blur. I’ve barely had a moment to breathe since the release of The Dwelling of All Souls. Hawai’i Opera Theatre’s season hit in full force, with three shows and their annual Opera Ball falling almost back to back (to back to back).
It wasn’t a bad busy, though. In all honestly I enjoy being busy, even if I whine about it a little bit. Okay, a lot. In March and April I had the sheer joy of doffing a headset again, working as Assistant Stage Manager for HOT’s production of Madame Butterfly. Being my first opera, and first production outside of UHM, there was no shortage of nerves going in. I couldn’t have been luckier with the experience. Aside from the great SM team, I had the honor of meeting and working with Director Gregory Keller and Maestro Benjamin Makino. They fostered a safe, creative, and fun environment for a wonderful cast of artists and musicians, and the result was a beautiful production of Puccini’s opera. I’m definitely spoiled for other teams going forward, but I do hope this is just the start of my professional time backstage. Everyone was supportive and I learned so much about the craft.
Summer break is quickly approaching, and my family and I have a trip to Big Island planned, including a tour of Volcano National Park. Until then, there will be a good deal of catching my breath, a return to aqua Zumba, and diving back into the draft of No Takebacks. I also have an Indigenous fantasy short story project I want to submit to a pub call that I’ll be outlining very soon. Keep an eye for updates on all of that.