Splash:
Keith, what would you say is your most important asset in creating a successful show?

Keith:
Well, believe it or not, I would have to say my partner Sara. She is my touchstone, my alter-ego, and she possesses a highly developed artistic sensibility. She's a very powerful woman who comes from being a successful corporate communications executive and meeting planner for firms like Prudential-Bache Securities, and AT&T Network Systems. It has always been an honor to work with her

Splash:
How did you two meet and become partners?

Keith:
I actually met her on a show at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel.  She was the corporate meeting planner for Prudential-Bache, putting together an innovative incentive meeting for their Chairman’s Council, and I was commissioned independently by the president to create a show that would “shake them out of their jaded boots” and instill a sense of company pride by telling them a story of their century-old heritage.

Splash:
It sounds like you would need more than just a story.

Keith:
Well, I did use eighteen projectors on three wide screens with a surprise finale of indoor fireworks.   Just as the music reached its crescendo… sparkling fountains sprung up everywhere and rockets soared across the stage… punctuating the symphonic sound track… but it was all in service of this emotional, historical story… a story that had effectively passed the baton of responsibility from the older generation to the younger one. .. a story that made these jaded stock brokers stand on their chairs and cheer and had tears rolling down the cheeks of their ninety-year old chairman of the board.  I think it was then that Sara really noticed me.

Splash:
What happened next?

Keith:
Well, I spent the next few days being dazzled by her with a series of her very creative, tasteful, and innovative events, and realized that this was the most fascinating, creative woman I had ever met… and well, the rest is history.

Splash:
How do your talents balance out?

Keith:
Well, as Executive Producer of our company, Sara’s background as a corporate executive gives us great insight into the client’s perspective.  We share a philosophy about the use of creativity in business and that it is strategic marketing and research that is the backbone of effective creative solutions.  Even our corporate comedies are designed to affect change based on extensive internal research.

Splash:
How does Sara’s meeting planning experience come into play?

Keith:
In our business, experience is the most important asset you can have.  Sara’s meeting planning skills are invaluable, especially to our clients who benefit from her vast experience.  Sara used to be president of a successful meeting planning and catering company in Chicago, so her business acumen is as sharp as is her flair for the dramatic.  But I think it’s her creative skills that give our work a sense of style and refinement.  As a writer and director, I find and develop our client’s “diamonds in the rough”, and as a video editor, I cut them so they have a pleasing shape… but Sara polishes them so they sparkle.  And, with her artistic background as a painter and as a dancer of hula, she brings many other dimensions of creativity to our work.

Splash:
I'm curious... how does hula influence your work?

Keith:
Hula is more than dance… it is an ancient method of telling stories.  It is rich with tradition and has a connection to all things of this world and beyond.  Because much of our work here in Hawaii involves telling stories to serve the local culture, Sara’s sensibilities and sensitivity help bring us all closer together.  Sara dances with a halau in North Kohala, and her Kumu, Raylene Ha'alelea Kawaiae'a, has become a mentor and guide for us.  Through Sara’s hula and my sailing with the crew of the Makalii, we have been blessed with many friends who give us insight into this rich culture.

Splash:
How does Sara use her skills as a artist in the business?

Keith:
Sara has a very acute sense of color and design, and this translates into more sophisticated color palettes, set designs, and creative use of textures that give our work a pleasing sense of overall art direction and styling.  But stayed tuned… in the future, we will be seeing a lot more of Sara’s paintings and dance production in an exciting new Polynesian show.