{"title":"Lee Cataluna","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"flowers-of-hawaii-and-other-plays-1","title":"Flowers of Hawai'i and Other Plays","description":"\u003cp\u003eLee Cataluna's \u003ci\u003eFlowers of Hawai'i\u003c\/i\u003e brings together four of her most resonant plays, each centered on the complicated, humorous, and sometimes painful dynamics of family life in Hawai'i. From inheritance fights to cancelled garage parties, from awkward livestreams to legacies built on shaky ground, these stories explore the tensions, sentiments, and unspoken histories that keep families linked, whether they like it or not.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnown for her vivid, carefully drawn characters and keen ear in capturing the nuances of local language, Cataluna writes about families who fight, forgive, and fail each other in ways that feel all too familiar. Whether dealing with the fallout of addiction or arguing over a china set her characters navigate relationships shaped by duty and hard-won affection.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the title play, \u003ci\u003eFlowers of Hawai'i\u003c\/i\u003e, a fractured family gathers after a funeral, only to find that grief unearths old secrets. Told through a series of two-person scenes, the play unfolds without a single protagonist—the family itself takes center stage. It's a portrait that will resonate with anyone who's ever had to show up for people they can't quite stand but still somehow love.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAloha Attire\u003c\/i\u003e plays with digital form, centering on a livestream unpacking session that leads into deeper questions of estrangement, gender, and performance. Written during the pandemic, the play reflects the characters' disconnection while also allowing for moments of unexpected intimacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Great Kaua'i Train Robbery\u003c\/i\u003e moves into historical fiction, reimagining a little-known incident from Hawai'i's territorial era. Rooted in research and family lore, the play tells the story of a man whose care for others becomes both his undoing and his redemption. It's a striking look at working-class life in an often overlooked era.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe final play, \u003ci\u003eUncle's Regularly Scheduled Garage Party Is Cancelled Tonight\u003c\/i\u003e, blurs the line between actor and audience, memory and myth. Taking place in real time in a family garage, it's part gathering, part performance, and part unspoken history. It's a celebration of storytelling in its most local form: funny, tender, and quietly profound.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLee Cataluna is one of Hawai'i's most prolific and beloved playwrights. With this collection, her work is more accessible than ever.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bamboo Ridge Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50473260286269,"sku":"9781943756070","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0477\/8731\/1254\/files\/9781943756070ita_9af4c7c9-b0db-4471-bc43-92c845df152c.jpg?v=1751923466"},{"product_id":"folks-you-meet-in-longs-1","title":"Folks You Meet in Longs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eFolks You Meet in Longs and Other Stories\u003c\/i\u003e is a collection of short, dramatic monologues by award-winning playwright and columnist Lee Cataluna. Originally written for the stage, these character sketches read like overheard conversations from the aisles and glimpses into the private lives of public people. Some are laugh-out-loud funny. Others are disarming in their honesty. All are rooted in the community, language, and layered identities of Hawai'i.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst published by Bamboo Ridge Press and honored with the Ka Palapala Po'okela Award for Excellence in Literature, \u003ci\u003eFolks You Meet in Longs\u003c\/i\u003e has become a local classic. The characters are fictional, but they feel real and recognizable. Their voices are relatable and richly drawn. They are aunties and exes, co-workers and customers, each carrying a mix of judgment, joy, and heartache. Cataluna's monologues do not romanticize or flatten local life. Instead, they celebrate its contradictions, humor, and everyday dramas with emotional insight and compassion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for fans of character-driven short fiction, dramatic monologue, and slice-of-life literature, this book is widely taught, frequently performed, and deeply beloved across Hawai'i's schools and stages. Whether you live in the islands or are simply curious about everyday life in Hawai'i, \u003ci\u003eFolks You Meet in Longs\u003c\/i\u003e offers a reading experience that is both entertaining and thoughtful.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bamboo Ridge Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50473300197693,"sku":"9780910043717","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0477\/8731\/1254\/files\/9780910043717ita_7c301fc3-ea9a-442f-91ab-781ee76ff9d8.jpg?v=1751924652"}],"url":"https:\/\/itascabooks.com\/collections\/lee-cataluna.oembed","provider":"Itasca Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}