Our logo reveals a belief that respectful behavior buoys society and undergirds education..

If you agree, please tab these dates when the Alliance for Drama Education will present...

MANNERS MATTER
A T-Shirt Theater Production

Tuesday, 21 April 2009
9:45am, Elementary Schools
1:00pm, Kalakaua Middle

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
9:19-10:30 FHS Diamond Head
10:40-11:50 FHS Evwa

Friday, 24 April 2009
7:30-9:00pm Public
Farrington High School Auditorium

Sunday, 26 April 2009
4:30-6:00pm Public
Farrington High School Auditorium

TBA: Dole Middle School

May we request the pleasure of performing Manners Matter for you and your class?  This original show grew out of workshops our T-Shirt Theatre cast brought to 5th grade classrooms last fall.  Eager to widen secondary school civility, our playwright-performers spent 6 months weaving scenes to spotlight areas of inter-personal collisions that hazard Kalihi.

While Webster's defines manners simply as "ways of social behavior", our writer-actors delved deeper.

"Everyone knows my friend is always polite.  It's not something she decides to do, it's just her style." - Faith

"You show good manners when you take other people into consideration." - Mark

"I know someone who never jumps to conclusions.  Whenever there's a conflict, he just confronts us as soon as possible so it doesn't build up in his head.  He takes immediate initiative so problems don't explpode.  Now that's good manners." - Jessica

"... But when someone is having a bad day and he goes off on some other guy, that's bad manners." - Dickson

"In Health Academy manners are called workplace behavior, and our assignment is to treat school as a job." - Honey

"There's a saying: don't cut what can be untied.  That means if you're ending a relationship, don't rush - take time to let each other go." - Justin

"Kids' best friend is the TV set.  They watch reality shows and think its funny, seeing that person get insulted." - Jovelle

"It's really easy to be rude on the cell phone.  You just say 'what?' with no grace at the beginning because you know who's calling and you're really busy." - David

ADE is grateful for the Atherton Foundation, the Okumura Family Foundation,  Mayor Mufi Hanneman's Office of the Culture and Arts and the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts for funding "Manners Matter".  Special mahalo to Debbie Ziemke for transcribing 36 interviews.