How does one multi-talented Hawaiian studies major want to change the world? Decolonize Western theater, create a new vision
Composer, playwright, and musician Damien Stack is integrating Hawaiian elements into local theater. “I want to create a body of work where universal human themes are explored through the specific, rich, and enduring perspectives of Hawaiian culture.”
By Lauren Aoki/UH Hilo Stories.
Damien Kīheipua Stack, a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo student by day and a playwright and composer by night, is well-known in the local theater community. It’s an impressive history of involvement in Hilo’s theater scene.
“He is a man of extraordinary talents: an actor, playwright, and musician — and highly regarded in all those areas,” says Justina Mattos, associate professor of drama and chair of the performing arts department.
With a clear focus of merging his love of music and theater with his roots in Hawaiian culture, Stack is now pursuing his bachelor’s in Hawaiian studies along with a certificate in performing arts. Born and raised in Hilo and a Kamehameha Schools graduate, he credits his background as the source of his inspiration.
“My work as a playwright and composer is influenced by the environments and histories that shaped me,” he says.
“I want to create a body of work where universal human themes are explored through the specific, rich, and enduring perspectives of Hawaiian culture.”
Stack initially studied music direction for musical theater in New Jersey at Rider University, but felt that the environment and community was incompatible with the stories he wanted to tell, and thus, he decided to transfer to UH Hilo.
“After a few years, I returned home because I realized that for my creative career to be authentic, it had to be grounded in my roots,” he says. “To tell the stories I wanted to tell, I needed to become more familiar with the language and history of my kūpuna. I chose UH Hilo because it allows me to stay close to my ʻohana while benefiting from the university’s rigorous Hawaiian studies program.”
Stack, who identifies as Native Hawaiian, lists his greatest achievement as the growth of his ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). But he notes that earning his bachelor’s in Hawaiian studies is much more than learning linguistics, it’s also teaching him about cultural knowledge and understanding.
“By pursuing a BA in Hawaiian studies, I am seeking the guidance of kumu who possesses a wealth of ancestral knowledge,” he says. “Their mentorship ensures that the truths I wish to portray in my art are culturally accurate. In Hawaiian studies, my focus is on ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and shifting my perspective to better understand the mindset of my kūpuna.”
His kumu (teacher) at the college, Kaʻiuokalani Damas, assistant professor of Hawaiian language, agrees wholeheartedly with this pursuit.
“As a Hawaiian language student at Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani, Kīheipua Stack is headed in the right direction to fulfill his dreams of incorporating Hawaiian perspectives into theatre performance,” says Damas. “As the mission statement of the College of Hawaiian Language states, ‘ʻO ka ʻōlelo ke kaʻā o ka mauli’ — Language binds us to who we are — grounding anything in Hawaiian culture should begin with a solid foundation in our language.”
In combination with his certificate in performing arts, this core pursuit supports Stack’s vision of decentering traditional Western theater to create a new format that centers Hawaiian language, culture, and identity on a larger international stage.
“These two paths converge in my ultimate goal to decolonize the Western theatrical format,” he says. “I aim to integrate Hawaiian cultural integrity into the structures of musical theater, creating a hybrid form that speaks with a Hawaiian voice to a global audience.”
By using universal themes with Hawaiian elements in his writing, people from any background will be able to relate and connect to his stories, while learning more about Hawaiian culture.
“I want to create a body of work where universal human themes are explored through the specific, rich, and enduring perspectives of Hawaiian culture,” he says.
Damien Stack’s new stage play brings awareness to circumstances usually unexplored in traditional theatre: to challenge the way society treats and views people with disabilities.
Like many great writers, Stack knows to write what he knows. He recently completed his own full-length drama, ʻĀnela Makapō (blind angel). The play, which is a lyrical drama incorporating elements of Hawaiian language and opera, explores the complex familial dynamics of caring for a family member with a disability.
“The play comes from personal experience, my sister has Down Syndrome, and growing up alongside her taught me that people with disabilities hold a vital, sacred place in our society,” says Stack. “Many times, we limit their potential by lowering our expectations for them.”
The stage play was created to bring awareness to circumstances usually unexplored in traditional theatre: to challenge the way society treats and views people with disabilities.
“This play is an effort to challenge those stigmas and show the humanity and agency of people like my sister,” he says.
Later this semester, the play will have a staged reading by the Keakalehua Playreading Hui, a small group of local theatre artists led by Associate Professor Mattos that started getting together online to read plays aloud during the pandemic. The reading of Stack’s work, done in partnership with the UH Hilo performing arts department and Performing Arts Center, will be directed by UH Hilo Emerita Professor of Drama Jackie Pualani Johnson.
Stack says he’s eager for the reading.
“The stage reading is a significant milestone, as it allows me to share my story with the community and allow them to engage with these themes through a Hawaiian lens,” he says. “I hope it also encourages other artists to produce work that the community can enjoy.”
“My long-term mission is to foster the growth of the theatrical arts on Hawaiʻi Island.”
Above video, Damien Stack as musical director for the local production of Wizard of Oz in 2025 (starting at 0:22)
When many productions changed to pre-recorded tracks during the 2021 pandemic, Stack was an outspoken advocate for the return of live music.
“For me, live music is a crucial component for a fully immersive musical theatre experience,” he says. “This advocacy led to opportunities to serve as music director for several productions.”
At the Palace Theater, he was music director for Once on This Island in 2023 and The Wizard of Oz in 2025, and at the Hilo Education Arts Repertory Theatre (HEART) for Heathers in 2024, Cabaret in 2025, and Dear Evan Hansen in 2026.
But his talent doesn’t stop at playwright and composer. He is also a talented instrumental player and is currently the organist and pianist at Haili Church and Kūhiō Chapel.
It’s clear just how deeply involved and committed Stack is to his community. In considering his own future prospects, he hopes to continue to be a loyal supporter of his home’s performing arts, all while simultaneously integrating Hawaiian language and culture.
“My long-term mission is to foster the growth of the theatrical arts on Hawaiʻi Island,” he says.
Stack expects to graduate from UH Hilo in 2028, creating a new vision for theater along the way.
Story by Lauren Aoki, an English major with a minor in anthropology at UH Hilo. She is literary editor at the university’s student publications Kanilehua and Hohonu.
