Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 3, 1 March 2015 — Hale Keaka [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hale Keaka

The former Lāna'i Theater in Lāna'i City reopened on Dec. 20, 2014, under a new name, "Hale Keaka." The theater's duplex design eontains two 93-seat theaters and a green room. The original Lāna'i Theater was dedicated on Jan. 3 1, 1926. The theater was a part of James Dole's vision for creating a community that met the needs of its residents. Lāna'i was not only to be a plaee to work but also a

plaee where families could enjoy activities together. The original building was a simple design, there were no hipped rooflines, dormers or clipped gables and the movies were silent with English subtitles. In the mid-1930s the theater was remodeled and they added a bracketed gable entry, roof dormers and clipped gables. These became distinguishing features of the theater that we see today. The Lāna'i Theater was the only einema on the island until it closed in the 1990s. Located in downtown Lāna'i City, the landmark was originally eommissioned by James B. Dole, and it provided family friendly entertainment for the whole community. Throughout the years, besides movies, the theater featured other events such as live plays

and musical performances. The newly renovated Hale Keaka has been restored to reflect the 1930s design with a state-of-the-art interior. To reflect the 1930s period, wood impressions are stamped into the concrete walkway to recreate the look of the original wooden ramps. The arched entryway of the theater is also restored to the 1930s design. Theater 1 and Theater 2 eaeh feature 93 pre-

mium seats, and is ADA compliant. The new interior houses state-of-the-art features, such as wall panels that carefully eoneeal speakers. There is also a sculpted acoustic back wall, whieh houses a number of speakers and enhances the surround-sound experience. Eaeh theater features a 25-foot sound screen that has an automated screen-masking capability. Architects Charlie Palumho and Glenn Mason coordinated the construction design, and the Lāna'i Builders crew did the work. The original timeline was estimated to be about 13 months to restore the theater. The Lāna'i Builders worked hard and with care and pride they eondensed the work timeline to 16 weeks. With this state-of-the-art theater, the residents of Lāna'i will onee again have a gathering plaee for residents both young and old to eome and enjoy themselves. ■

Cūlette Y. Machadū TrustEE Mūlūka'i and Lāna'i

Lāna'i Theater, closed since the 1 990s, has reopened under the name Hale Keaka. - Photo: Anthony Paeheeo