On Saturday of November 8th, the Honoka’a Renaissance Fair of 2025 was held inside the Honoka’a County Park. Amidst the festivities and food of the Renaissance Fair, the Honoka’a School’s Drama Club was fundraising by letting people “Soak the Bloke,” or in more familiar terms, to dunk leaders and members of the Drama Club into a dunk tank. The dunk tank is a fundraiser to help the Drama Club gain funds for future performances and drama-related events, like their upcoming play on The Brothers Grimm’s Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis, set to be played on an estimated date of February.
What is the Renaissance Fair?
The Renaissance Fair is an event that celebrates and educates the Renaissance Era, which is around the 14th-17th century. The Renaissance Era was a period of “cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth.” (History.com Editors, 2025) The Renaissance Era showed a display of going beyond classical traditions and had many iconic artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and William Shakespeare.
Ren Fairs’ purpose soon went beyond education and celebration and turned into an event to create a sense of community. The mission of the Honoka’a Ren Faire was to create a free and immersive community event where people could “come together to celebrate creativity, culture, and the magic of life-throught costume music, performance and play.” (Honokaarenfaire.com, 2025)
Drama Club
The Honoka’a Drama Club is a school club from Honoka’a High and Intermediate, where students who enjoy performing or simply working behind the scenes in stage productions get to pursue their passion. The club recently did a fundraiser at the Ren Faire to raise money for future performances. The Honoka’a Drama Club is a club filled with passion for performing and for the artistry that goes along with the performances and acting.
How to Support the Drama Club and the Renaissance Faire
Renaissance Faire Official Website:
To send reviews, donate, volunteer, and get involved!
https://www.honokaarenfaire.com/
Drama Club Instagram:
Keep up with the latest Drama Club news!
@hhis.dramaclub
The Drama Members’ Voices
I have asked some of the Drama Club members for their experience and opinions on the fundraiser that they did at the Ren Faire, and their words about the Drama Club in general.
In your opinion, how does the Renaissance Faire and the Honoka’a Drama Club go hand-in-hand?
“I mean, the Renaissance Fair allows you to be something other than yourself, project yourself as a character that you like, respect, or connect to. Drama is all about being someone other than you!” Teacher, Benjamin Bridges
“The Renaissance Fair is a place to dress up, act differently, and have fun. The Drama Club is a place to dress up, act differently, and have fun. How does the Renaissance faire and the Drama Club not go hand-in-hand is the real question.” – Junior, Nisi Varela
What’s your favorite part about Drama Club?
“Acting! That’s the main reason why I joined. Our supervisor has lots of experience in it, so we have lots of guidance… It’s fun to do the absolute most here and not be judged because everyone else is doing it too.” – Junior Nisi Valera
“Being able to express myself.” – Anonymous
“Participating in any shows or events we host, such as the haunted house and plays.” – Junior, Kaile Chong.
“The students! I also love “OUR” space. Watching both grow and improve! I love seeing members connect with each other, have fun, and work for a common goal–all while bringing joy to the community.” – Teacher, Benjamin Bridges
What was your favorite memory of running the dunk tank for the Drama Club fundraiser?
“The dunk tank was fun for me because I got to taunt the attendees, hang out with awesome drama kids, say hi to the community members, represent the club, and get wet!” – Teacher, Mr. Bridges
“The most fun part of running the dunk tank was the jokes and phrases we came up with…These small and simple moments bond us together, making our team more confident and comfortable with each other. Drama is a way for kids to be themselves and feel no pressure or insecurity.” – Junior, Francheska Madriaga
“I loved holding up the boards and shouting, not just because I like being loud, but because it was a fun way to hype each other up and get closer to everyone. I saw the people working in the dunk tank and running the table, enjoying their time interacting with each other and the customers. It was great seeing the different costumes and ages come by because of what we were screaming.” – Junior, Nisi Valera
“I enjoy teasing other people into getting them to try the dunk tank since I made many people laugh. I also enjoyed seeing other people’s costumes and their creativity.” – Junior, Kaile Chong.
“Hearing the laughter.” – Anonymous.
How do you feel when you see other people in our community having fun and smiling when they attempt the dunk tank? Does it feel rewarding, and how so?
“It feels very rewarding to see the smiling faces of other people because it allows us, the Drama Club, to know that we’re doing our job, entertaining people.” – Junior, Kaile Chong
“I love that the club brings joy to kids and adults in the community. I like getting our club and its members recognition in the community and islands.” – Teacher, Mr. Bridges
“Very rewarding. I had a lady come up to me to see what all the screaming was about, and proceeded to tell me that I was doing good at what I was doing… Some kids and other teens came up to ask questions, such as asking us to hold the sign or asking for us to scream something–it was just nice to interact with people who matched the vibe.” – Junior, Nisi Valera
“It’s genuinely so rewarding to see people enjoy the events our group puts together. For a lot of these events, our teacher and the students themselves put a lot of work into getting these events situated, and seeing people smile and laugh makes it all worth it.” – Junior, Anonymous.
What does the Drama Club mean to you? How has it been beneficial to you in your own personal life?
“Drama is like a second home to me. It is a place where I feel I belong and I can be myself.” – Anonymous.
“Coming from someone who came from a tiny school with almost no clubs aside from sports, I’ve had nothing but fun here, and it’s definitely brought out a lot of me that I didn’t know I had.” – Junior, Nisi Valera
“The Drama Club lets me get away from home, and I get to hang out with my friends. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable experience.” – Sophomore, Mikela Mason
“The Drama Club to me means community. The Drama Club itself doesn’t contain any separate cliques, as many of the members and I have gotten along well…This club is an important part of my life as it helps me to make more friends and helps me actively get rid of social anxiety and my fear of speaking out loud to crowds.” Junior, Kaile Chong
“It is my happy place and some of my happiest memories…” Teacher, Benjamin Bridges.
In your opinion, why is it beneficial to have a drama club at this school and in this community?
“Oh my, I can write about this forever. I restarted this club after a long hiatus; the reason for doing so was to give the opportunity to the students and to offer the dramatic arts to the school and community. The drama club is a great place for students to express themselves. It is a place for students to have a group to connect with…” Teacher, Benjamin Bridges.
“The Drama Club lets kids express themselves and who they are.” – Sophomore, Mikela Mason
“It is beneficial to have a Drama Club at school and in our community because it opens doors to more opportunities for students to try out in acting. It also gives more artistic representation in our school and community through another art form.” – Junior, Kaile Chong
“For the school, the Drama Club is a place for people to find others like you…For the community, it’s a place to watch your loved ones participate in something they love and enjoy. There’s a good show the members are putting on from the heart…
“Acting isn’t just important in art, it’s a pillar in the world.” – Junior, Nisi Valera.
A Big Thanks!
A huge thanks to everyone involved in making the Renaissance Faire and the Honoka’a Drama Club Possible!
