I was hired by Wally Chappell, new Artistic Director of the Loretto Hilton Theatre, to direct professionally for the first time. It was two shows in the Story Theatre style, in which I was well-versed as an actor. Easy, one might think, but I labored intensively from the time I accepted until both shows were up. A short rehearsal schedule and adrenaline pumping all the time made the two and-a-half weeks an extremely intense time, but so exciting! When both shows were up I slept for sixteen hours. Great experience. There was one thing, though.
At one point in rehearsal, there was a move by one of the characters that was so clear to me, and I had the actor playing that character make that move. I showed it to him and he did it. I felt the move was right, but it never seemed right in the show. The blocking was right, but the movement was wrong. It was my way of moving, how I would move in that role. I wondered at how stiff the actor seemed, but it worked for the show and time was short so we left it. Soon after, in retrospect, I saw clearly what I had done, and I thought then that I would try to never do that again. Give an actor the movement, and by extension, other things, up to and including line readings.
I also realized then that my talent as an actor, such as it is, was going to be, at once, a big help and a huge hindrance to me as a director. A good thing to know early.
http://www.ronnakahara.com
Ron is a New York City based actor/director originally from Hawaii.
He studied at the University of Hawaii with Glenn Cannon from NY, Terry Knapp from The Royal Shakespeare Co. and with noted voice teacher Kristen Linklater. While there he also studied Kyogen theater with Japan National Treasure Nomura Mansaku and performed in Kabuki.
Selected acting:
NY–Man In Snow (LaMama,) Ping Pong (The Public Theatre,) Ching Chong Chinaman, Rashomon (Pan Asian Repertory Theatre,) Earth and Sky (Second Stage,) The Three Sisters (Pan Asian,) Romeo And Juliet (NYSF/Public Theatre,) As You Like It (NYSF/Public Theatre,) Danton’s Death (LaMama E.T.C.,) The School for Wives (NATCO,) Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pan Asian) REGIONAL– Wild Swans (debut), (Young Vic, London, and A.R.T., Boston,) Snow Falling on Cedars, The Merchant of Venice (Hartford Stage Co.,) Comedy of Errors (The Shakespeare Theatre, D.C.,) The Screens (The Guthrie Theatre,) Othello (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta,) The Empress of China (Cincinnati Playhouse,) Cyrano (ACT, San Francisco,) Taming of the Shrew (ACT,) Diary of a Scoundrel (Hawaii Public Theatre) FILM–Isn't It Romantic, The Wolf of Wall Street, Sleepwalk With Me, I Think I Love My Wife, College Road Trip. TV- can be seen currently recurring as Hirochi in Netflix's Daredevil Season 2; Madam Secretary, Elementary, NYC 22, The Good Wife, Fringe, 3 LBS., Whoopi, Cosby Mysteries, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, All My Children, Pearl, The Miniseries, Hawaii 5-O (the original).
As a director, Ron has worked at theatres and Universities around the country. He was one of the first 6 recipients of the NEA-TCG Director Fellowship Award in 1987.