“Outlandish,” a new play about the Victorian travel writer Isabella Bird and her encounter with King Lunalilo had its world premiere on the stage of Kumu Kahua Theatre this month. Joining the cast is actor Kaipo Dudoit, who spoke with Aloha State Daily about how he gets into character for the role of King Lunalilo.
November 14, 20254 min read
Actor Kaipo Dudoit, who appeared in Disney’s live action “Lilo & Stitch” is back on stage at Kumu Kahua Theatre where he plays King Lunalilo in the world premiere of “Outlandish.”
“Outlandish” by Eric Anderson tells the story of Isabella Bird, a Victorian travel writer who met King Lunalilo during a visit to Hilo. The production runs through Dec. 7. Get tickets and learn about Kumu Kahua Theatre’s new book club, which is reading a biography about Bird this month. There is also a buy one, get one free promotion for tickets for the show on Friday, Nov. 21.
Film and theater acting are “completely different things,” Dudoit told Aloha State Daily. On stage, actors’ movements need to be larger than for filming, and they use their voices differently, he said.
“It always a pleasure to be on a stage, and especially at Kumu Kahua [Theatre], where I did a lot of my learning, first through Kumu Kahua,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful welcome back to theater.”
Recently, Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the City and County of Honolulu named Aug. 6 as Kaipo Dudoit Day.
Over the years, Dudoit has been an actor and assistant director at Kumu Kahua Theatre.
“It’s such a beautiful place because we do plays about local things written by local people for local audiences,” he said. “It’s a very unique spot. And it is a black box theater. Everything is intimate, and you get to feel the story along with the actors and experience a different kind of theater that you don’t get to see elsewhere.”
To get into character for this role, Dudoit has been listening to a lot of classical music from that era. The story is set in the 1870s. Pō’ai Lincoln, who is in the cast as an actress and is the show’s music director and dramaturge, led the cast in learning about songs within the play and music played during that time, he added. Other members of the cast include Emily Steward, Jill Jackson and Kanoe Perreira.
“ʻOutlandishʻ is a heartfelt and humorous play based upon following a Victorian traveler and writer, Isabella Bird,” Dudoit said. “She has traveled all over the world for her health, and she happens to stumble upon Hawaiʻi. And this is a time right after [Lunaliloʻs] coronation as king.”
The production focuses on a night where Bird and King Lunalilo meet and exchange stories and life experiences. The play is historical fiction and based on imagination, although it is documented that Bird and King Lunalilo did meet, “but we don’t know what happened in their meeting,” he said.
“It’s a beautiful play about give and take — about sharing experiences and the connections or misconnections that we have with people — within our own home and outside of our home,” he said.
Get tickets.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
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Katie Helland is an Arts, Culture & Entertainment Reporter for Aloha State Daily.
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