Machinal at Paliku Theatre

Windward Community College and Palik Theatre present Machinal directed by Taurie Kinoshita, at Palik Theatre April 21–30, 2023.

Machinal, by playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell, was inspired by the real-life 1928 case of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder. It is considered one of the highpoints of Expressionist theatre on the American stage, emphasizing high intensity and stylized movement. Thought-provoking, tragic and full of symbolism, Machinal shows the subjective reality of a single woman thrust into an overly mechanized, materialistic world.

“I chose Machinal in response to the repression currently happening across America,” said Kinoshita.

The cast features Marie Richter (Demigods Anonymous, Palik), Stuart Featheran (The Wind and the Reckoning film), Noah Nakachi (Oriental Faddah and Son, Palik), Sydney Ishikawa (Gone Feeshing, Kumu Kahua Theatre), Chivalry Butler (Taming of the Shrew, Hawaii Shakespeare Festival) and many more.

In addition to Machinal, there will be a 30-minute companion piece The Stain by Timothy Kimura, a one-act play about mental illness set in Kapahulu during the 1930s.