By Doris Morisaki
When I think of Laurel and her years with our Ramayana productions, I think of someone who has experienced this ancient Indian story from nearly every angle.
Laurel’s own story stretches from Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she entered the world, to Las Vegas, where she spent her formative years, and finally to Honolulu, the place she has called home for most of her life.
Hawaiʻi holds her roots. She feels deeply connected to these islands and committed to protecting them. She knows their plants, wildlife, waters, and people, yet she continues discovering new things to love and new ways to deepen that relationship.
Since joining our Still & Moving Ramayana enactments, Laurel has helped build the bridge to Lanka alongside Hanuman’s monkey army, stepped into the roles of Sita’s alter ego and Sita herself, transformed into Shurpanakha, the demon princess and sister of King Ravana, and even supported the production behind the scenes as our sound tech.
Of all those experiences, one character continues to call her back: Shurpanakha.
When Renée Tillotson first invited Laurel to play the role in 2019, Laurel had no idea how she would tap into the energy of a demon princess. She had actually never performed on stage before! She nevertheless discovered her way into the character and delighted us with Shurpanakha’s tippy-toe flirtation with the princes, followed by their stern rejection.
The greater challenge came when Shurpanakha turned with wounded pride toward Sita.
Laurel had to summon the fiery, ferocious energy of a warrior princess threatening her rival, an energy that couldn’t have felt further from Laurel’s natural temperament. Yet that challenge became part of what made the role so memorable.
Now, seven years later, Laurel returns to play Shurpanakha.
I love hearing her talk about meeting this character again because Laurel recognizes that she has changed since 2019. Naturally, Shurpanakha may change with her. Rather than simply recreating what she did seven years ago, Laurel gets to discover who this character becomes through the person she has grown into today.
That spirit of discovery extends beyond the stage.
These days, Laurel finds joy through ecstatic dance. With no “wrong” way to move, she listens to her body, trusts where it wants to take her, and releases concern about how she might look to others. Through movement, she deepens her relationship with herself and practices meeting her mind, body, and heart with full presence.
Perhaps that same openness explains something Laurel has learned since she first came to Still & Moving Center in 2016: connection doesn’t have to feel complicated. Find something that brings you joy. Keep showing up. Friendships grow.
Our performances have given Laurel another beautiful expression of that lesson. She describes them much like family talent shows: keiki, aunties, uncles, friends, and everyone in between coming together to share what they’ve practiced, regardless of skill level. Someone might forget a cue, and the audience cheers anyway.
Each person brings an individual offering, and together those offerings create something larger than any one person could create alone.
And now another chapter awaits.
This year, Laurel returns to the Ramayana again as Shurpanakha, and joins our ʻohana as we take an exciting leap onto the stage of Hawaiʻi Theatre.
Seven years have passed since Laurel first met this fiery demon princess. I can’t wait to see who Shurpanakha becomes in Laurel’s hands this time, and to watch Laurel bring another part of herself to the story we continue creating together.
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