OUR STORY

From humble beginnings as an after-school drama program in 1974, Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) has grown into one of Hawaii’s largest nonprofit performing arts organizations.

50 years ago, Maui Academy of Performing Arts began as Maui Youth Theatre, providing after-school programming in the arts for the island’s youth. As we began producing plays and musicals for the community, the integration of adult community members became inevitable, as did the necessity to find a space to call home. Thus began our great artistic journey.

An integral part of the Maui community, MAPA has provided highly acclaimed performing arts productions, classes and camps to more than one million participants spanning three generations. And we have done so nomadically.

From Pu’unēnē Clubhouse to Kahului Community Center to Steppingstone Playhouse to Maui Arts & Cultural Center (and many other stops along the way), MAPA has served Maui residents and visitors with our mission of enriching individuals, building community and connecting our world through the performing arts.

In 2016, MAPA began the process of creating a comprehensive performing arts campus in the heart of Wailuku. Anchoring the burgeoning Wailuku Arts District, MAPA’s Main Street Arts Project will house the Naylor Family Theatre, a state-of-the-art black box theatre, and performing arts classrooms, rehearsal studios, and production facilities.

We broke ground on the black box theatre, the crown jewel of the Main Street Arts Project in December 2023. Construction is expected to be complete in spring 2025.

As our journey continues to evolve, we look to the past with gratitude, standing ready for the next exciting chapter in MAPA’s story.