Meet the Cast of “The Staircase”

The Staircase, which runs on the Julianne Argyros Stage from Apr. 27-May 18, is a tale about holding on, letting go and the curious force that pulls us back home, woven together with stories of Hawaiian legend. It features a cast of well-respected Hawaiian actors who are recognized throughout Hawaii for their theatre, film and television work. Three of them are new to SCR, one has been with The Staircase since the first reading and another has a childhood connection to our conservatory.

Ben Cain returns to SCR as Father, having played the role previously in the 2023 Pacific Playwrights Festival, as well as subsequent workshops. His theatre credits include A Raisin in the Sun at A Noise Within, King Hedley II at August Wilson African American Cultural Center and The Exonerated at The Actors’ Gang. Some of his film and television credits include “Bel-Air” on Peacock and “American Rust” on Amazon, among many others. He is from Flint, Michigan and is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.

Nara Cardenas makes her SCR debut as Sweetheart. Some of her memorable roles as a company member at Honolulu Theatre for Youth include Lily in Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse and Rell in Queen of Makaha: Rell Sunn. She participated in the New Visions, New Voices workshop and festival at The Kennedy Center as Bobi in Nothing is the Same and as part of the ensemble in Anon(ymous). In recent years, Cardenas has worked with WitzEnd Productions on the new musical The Epic Tale of Hiiaka, developing the role of Wahineomao. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from Yale.

Wil Kahele makes his SCR debut as Son. Kahele has been a vibrant presence in Honolulu’s theatre and film scene for more than three decades, beginning with local television commercials and independent films. He has performed at venues across Hawaii, including Diamond Head Theatre, Manoa Valley Theatre and Kumu Kahua Theatre. Kahele notably portrayed Michael Mahekona in Kumu Kahua Theatre’s production of The Kamau Trilogy, a series of plays exploring themes of intergenerational trauma and cultural identity.

Ehulani Hope Kane makes her SCR debut as Mother. Kane is a Kanaka Maoli artist, educator and activist with more than 50 years of experience in the performing arts. Her theatrical work includes portraying Queen Lili’uokalani and the goddess Pele, as well as roles in The Lili’u Project at Leeward Community College and the Bay Area Playwright’s Festival in San Francisco. Kane’s most recent credits include Lovey Lee at ProArts Playhouse and Maui OnStage, Moana Live Action and short films Hawaiian Soul and Mauka to Makai.

Kainui Blaze Whiting returns to SCR as the musician for The Staircase, having previously appeared in SCR’s 2010 production of A Christmas Carol as Boy on the Street. They also played one of the Three Little Pigs in SCR’s 2011 Summer Players production of Into the Woods. They have since appeared in a variety of productions, including the Emmy Award-winning It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown. Whiting is currently studying cultural anthropology of language and dance, and as haumana at Halau Hula Lani Ola, they are studying traditional hula and Hawaiian cultural arts.