Children's Media Center: 11/10

The Story of Storybook Theatre’s Garden of Peace

This is more than the story of Storybook Theatre’s Garden of Peace, and more than the Storybook Theaters’ incredible history. It is a story about attending to and healing our children, bringing together community and, of a vision that just won’t quit. As one of my elders said to me, “There are two kinds of stories—the one’s that drain us because they are ‘all about me, me, me’, and the other kind that are healing stories, stories of learning, of reconciliation and, of redemption.” In short, this kind of story is a ‘medicine story’ and these stories must be shared.

Storybook Theatre was founded in 1979 in Honolulu and incorporated as a non-profit, moving to Kauai in 1989. The organization is dedicated to addressing an important need of young children; to hear good stories told in creative ways. The Storybook Theatre is carrying on an ancient oral tradition—a tradition of communication with moral, ethical standards through storytelling that strive to lift children out of narrow paths, narrower view points and, lack of options into activating creative thinking that expands human potential. After hundreds of live touring theatrical productions involving Hawaii’s finest actors and storytellers, the organization shifted its main focus towards the creation of television and movie production, thus reaching a larger audience, as well as to provide direct educational story-enriched programs for at-risk youth. The television storytelling shows featuring Russell the Rooster, are broadcast now throughout Hawaii, parts of the mainland and to the Cook Islands. The audience base has grown to an estimated 800,000 viewers.

In an interview with Mark Jeffers, Executive Director and co-founder of The Storybook Theatre’s home in Hanapepe Town, Kauai, Hawaii on a rainy Friday afternoon, we began with Mark telling me about his history as a storyteller. At aged twelve, Mark’s auntie took him to see Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood television set at WQED Public Television in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He met the now legendary Fred Rogers, king of the storytellers and advocate of young children’s programming. It was a soul opening event in his young life, illuminating a pathway to storytelling as his life’s work. He has a Masters degree in early childhood education, taught pre-school for 18 years and has been a professional storyteller-educator for 30 years. I asked him to estimate how many children he has told stories to over the years, and after telling me that it is the story that counts, not the numbers you tell it too, we finally arrived at an estimated 240,000 children in live performances. “ If you keep children sacred, honor and respect the world in which they inhabit, then over time you begin to think as a child may think—that is to say with complete creative imagination,” says Mark. “What we have done here [at The Storybook Theatre] is to create a center for learning and a model for revitalizing a community with the principles of creativity at the center by building a theater, a media studio, a classroom and, a garden of peace. At the heart of the model are the children.”

Hurricane Iniki touched down and stalled over the island of Kauai in 1992 with winds reaching up to 150 miles an hour. In the aftermath, Hanapepe Town on the west side of Kauai, was just one of many island-wide towns that was devastated by this awesome force of nature. By 1995, The Storybook Theatre was looking for a permanent home. With the help of friends, Mark found the nationally registered historic Sun Ke Heong/Obatake Building in the center of old town, almost completely destroyed by the hurricane. The organization was given a 55-year lease from the State of Hawaii and thus began to successfully fundraise, undertaking major restorations in phases of the building and adjoining property—officially opening it’s doors in January 2003. Thirteen years later, with the aid of many dedicated Board of Trustees, the support of community volunteers and, leadership that has kept the vision consistently alive and moving forward, Storybook Theatre sits as a jewel in the crown of the neighborhood, and has become instrumental in rekindling business and other preservation projects in this now federally designated historic town. The project is in its’ final phase—building an interactive outdoor park, with performance stage and natural environment. It is known locally as ‘the peace garden’ but, more formally as the Spark Masayuki Matsunaga International Children’s Garden of Peace.

Spark Matsunaga grew up in Hanapepe in a community consisting of multi-ethnic, low-income families who worked for the sugar plantations. In a contest for the local Garden Island Newspaper, the young Spark sold over 1,000 subscriptions, winning a scholarship to the University of Hawaii in the early 1940’s. When the United States entered the Second World War, Spark enlisted with the 442^nd and was assigned to the European theater in Italy. He became a decorated hero and upon returning to the United States after WWII, he took the GI bill and went to Harvard Law School. Before entering a political career, he practiced law for years in Honolulu. After becoming a Senator for Hawaii, he worked tirelessly for the reparations to Japanese people who were interred during the Second World War; crossing the country giving an estimated 800 speeches that paved the way for reconciliation and restitution. Matsunaga, a visionary, poet-philosopher, became a peace advocate appointed in 1976 by President Jimmy Carter to conduct a Commission with the purpose of studying theories, techniques and institutions involved with conflict resolution. The Matsunaga Commission met with military, government, and non-government organizations, leading educators, conflict resolution professionals and representatives from religious, ethnic and, scientific communities. It also invited thousands of interested citizens through a series of public meetings held across the nation to add their thoughts and ideas to the formulation of an institute for peacemaking. The Matsunaga Commission issued a report recommending the creation of a national peace academy and based upon this report a bill was introduced in both houses of Congress under bipartisan sponsorship and it was adopted. The United States Institute for Peace opened its’ doors in Washington, D. C. in 1986.

A quote by Spark Matsunaga, from 1938, points to his vision and the tireless dedication he followed as a peacemaker. “ If in our teaching we emphasize the life and work of our great contributors instead of our great destroyers, people will come to realize that moral courage is bravery of the highest type…” The Children’s Garden of Peace represents a refuge where magic and learning can happen, where the principles of peacemaking can be taught and practiced through creative storytelling and film-making.

In keeping with the objective of transformational learning, the garden will have a very special entrance gate. Renowned Honolulu based architect and designer Kevin Chun’s last design project before his death, calls for a children’s sized door at the gateway. This will be the first interaction a visitor and schoolchildren experience as they step into the wondrous, interactive learning environment. Honoring the work of peacemaker Matsunaga, a larger than life bronze statue by Honolulu sculptor Kim Duffett will be one of the centerpieces of the garden. Mr. Duffett researched and collaborated with Kevin Chun on the project.

The Children’s Garden of Peace will become yet another enlivening feature in old Hanapepe Town that established a Friday night Art Walk. As a free event, the town lights up, stays open and invites all comers to experience Hanapepe in all her unique glory. With more galleries per capita than any other town in Hawaii, the history comes alive with street musicians, a special vegetarian restaurant featuring Hawaiian guitar and vocals, and in August of 2009, the opening of The Children’s Garden of Peace.

His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama says, “peace begins within”. This is a truth that has immeasurable potential for positive change in all of us, and with The Storybook Theatre’s emphasis on working with children at risk the power of creative thinking is the pathway towards uplifting our youth, towards modeling other behaviors that think outside of the box and, towards peacemaking. Who knows who will come out of Hanapepe Town next, perhaps another Spark M. Matsunaga—a visionary peacemaker.

The final phase of fundraising to finish the garden is underway, entitled “Creating a Pathway to Peace, One Brick at a Time”; the tax-exempt non-profit is selling engraved bricks to cover the winding pathway through the garden. It has been a long journey to restore, repair, maintain and make creative programs happen. Fifty thousand dollars is needed to finish the project. If you can help, please go online to www.storybook.org and click on donor opportunities. Mahalo! Thank you!

Jane Ely, D. Min.: In 1998, she formed The Peacemaking School, dedicated to practicing peacemaking skills. She has a professional private counsel practice in Lihue, and on the east coast, mainland. She teaches internationally. To contact Dr. Ely, call 808-245-4246, or visit www.peacemakerschool.org

Children's Media Center

NTO to Play Sparky's Peace Garden December 10th

Mahalo Jorey Cantu!

Creating a Pathway for Peace, One Brick at a Time

Children's Earth Count 11/20/10

Home

Index

Archive

Be Our Friends!