Interview: Seema Sueko-Low of HAWAI'I THEATRE PEOPLE PROJECT

We spoke with Seema Sueko-Low, founder of the Hawai'i Theatre People Project, to get some insight on this exciting and innovative new organization. The HTPP launched just a few months ago, as a sort of database for anyone who self-identifies as a Hawai'i Theatre Person. Their initial social media reel, released on August 29, 2026, received over 14,100 views by over 9,300 viewers. Currently, there are 140 participants in HTPP living on Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, and on 15 other states and in Europe. Last month, they tested the viability of a mutual aid fund and redistributed $5,225 to 12 participants. Read more about Sueko-Low and the HTTP below!

BroadwayWorld Hawai’i: What is your personal and professional background?

Sueko-Low: My mom, Carol Ahmed (née Matsumoto) is from Kona, and my dad, Dr. Saleem Ahmed, is from Pakistan. I grew up on Oʻahu and graduated from University Laboratory School in Mānoa in 1990. I was away for 32 years, making a living as a theater artist, and returned to support and care for my parents in 2022.

BWWH: What makes you passionate about theatre, and about Hawai’i theatre in particular?

Sueko-Low: My older sister, Aisha, did theater in school. When I was in eighth grade, she was a senior, and she played the lead in the Lab School/Mid-Pac production of Little Mary Sunshine. Aisha was shy and introverted in person, but on stage she shed the shyness and transformed. It’s the transformative power of theater – for artists, audience, and community – that makes me passionate about this art form.

BWWH: When you moved back to Hawai’i, what specifically did you witness with the local theatre scene that inspired this need to connect the community more directly?

Sueko: One of the most unique things about Hawaiʻi, I believe, is that everybody arts here. Whether it’s halau, craft making, tattoo art, car art, 3-D printing, music, culinary, writing, or anything else, people here are very creative. Everybody arts, but no one gets paid. Or, I should say that very few get paid for their art making -- and this is especially true in the theater sector. I spent a couple of years just observing and talking with local theater people and began floating the idea of mapping the community. If we can learn about one another and see how vast, how talented, how deep, and how broad the community of Hawaiʻi theater people is, we can surface resources, cultivate abundance, and collaborate to strengthen the sector.

BWWH: What shows have you seen/worked on in Hawai’i recently that have stood out to you?

Sueko-Low: An all-time favorite of mine is The Paʻakai We Bring at Honolulu Theatre for Youth. Just a few weeks ago I saw The Hobbit produced by Theatre for Young Audiences program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa – also very good.

BWWH: As you have extensive experience with mainland theatre, what are some of the major differences between that and Hawai’i theatre that locals who have never done theatre outside the islands may not know or understand?

Sueko-Low: The primary difference is that some other cities have theater ecosystems that allow folks to make a living at theater.

BWWH: What aspects of Hawaiian/local culture do you believe are present and integral to the Hawai’i theatre community, in a way that differs from mainland theatre?

Sueko-Low: We value and invest in our keiki in a unique way, and perhaps that’s why the two productions that stood out to me in my response to question 4 above are both TYA (theater for young audience) productions. We also have some very strong high school theater programs.

BWWH: What areas of Hawai’i theatre do you believe require the most attention/change?

Sueko-Low: The connective tissue. We have many of the parts: artists, organizations, teachers, volunteers, schools/university, journalists/bloggers, community organizations, etc. But we are siloed, and the perceived and real scarcity of resources further silos us.

BWWH: What do you believe the Hawai’i theatre community is doing well?

Sueko-Low: I think everyone is working very hard in their silos.

BWWH: In an ideal world, what do you envision the Hawai’i theatre industry looking like as a result of this project? 

Sueko-Low: As a result of all of our collective efforts, we can strengthen the connective tissue and sustain a healthy ecosystem of theater.

 

BWWH: Which organizations/entities have you connected with to extend the reach of your project?

Sueko-Low: Among the folks who have responded to the survey are people who are associated with these Hawaiʻi organizations: Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Kumu Kahua, Liliʻuokalani Center, Manoa Valley Theatre, ProArts Playhouse Maui, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Theatre Theatre Maui, Tree Moss, University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and at Hilo, Windward Community College, and others.

BWWH: What do you think are some of the biggest obstacles the Hawai’i theatre community faces?

Sueko-Low: Our isolation.

BWWH: Why was it important to you to include Hawai’i theatre people living in the diaspora as well as those living locally?

Sueko-Low: Many who want to sustain a full-time career in theater leave the islands. That’s a lot of talent leaving, and many never return. We can gain a lot by sharing across our islands and across the oceans. Given our population size, we might not have the local audience to sustain a robust theater sector here. But once we widen our boundaries, our market size grows, as does our proximity to opportunities.

BWWH: How do you recommend the community utilize the roster of HTPP?

Sueko-Low: Everyone who completes the survey receives the latest results on the last day of every month (unless they opt out of that). They can search the spreadsheet for a specific name, school, location, skill, etc. I get inspired reading through the bios of our participants and why they chose to complete the survey.

Click here if you would like to add yourself to the Hawai'i Theatre People database. Click here to view some results of the project.