In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

In 1947, the Year of the Boar, a young girl leaves China with her parents for a new beginning in America. But it's harder than she expected. 

Though her classmates in Brooklyn come from a variety of backgrounds, Shirley is the only one who doesn't speak English, and she worries she will never have a friend. Through a new love of the Brooklyn Dodgers (especially her hero, Jackie Robinson), Shirley begins to feel at home.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) produces professional theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of young people, families and educators in the state of Hawaii. 

HTY believes that drama education and theatre are unique, socially based education and art forms that help their participants and audiences walk in the shoes of others, allowing them to expand their imaginations, enrich their lives and discover the infinite possibilities in the world. HTY works toward a future for Hawaii in which people are culturally literate, imaginative, critical thinkers and inventive problem solvers, with a respect for history and a sense of place in a complex world.

Founded in 1955, HTY is one of the oldest and most respected children’s theatres in the country. HTY has served over five million people through school and family performances and drama education programs. HTY has commissioned more than 300 new plays for young audiences.

HTY has used their talents in new ways during the COVID era and, with a partnership with NMG Network and Hawaii News Now, created a new type of children’s television program. Grounded in their geography and the many diverse cultures that make Hawaii special, the program is unlike anything currently available in children’s television and marks the beginning of a hybrid future for HTY as both theatre and digital media creator.