MEDIA RELEASE

Barbara Kopra

Barbara Kopra, Middle School music teacher at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, recently received the Hawaii State Theatre Council’s (HSTC) Po’okela Award for Excellence in Service for the 2008-2009 season. The award recognized Kopra’s work with Waimea Community Theatre as musical director for “King and I” and for her work directing two performances annually with the Waimea Community Chorus.

“In awarding a Po’okela Award for Excellence in Service to Barbara Kopra, the HSTC Board recognized her outstanding and tireless efforts to improve, enlarge, and promote Waimea Community Chorus, a subsidiary of Waimea Community Theatre, which she has directed since mid-2004,” said Miguel Bray, treasurer of the Waimea Community Theatre and Chorus and the Hawaii State Theatre Council. “The board of directors of Waimea Community Theatre and Chorus deeply appreciate the work Ms. Kopra has done to foster excellence in the participation and performance of the Community Chorus and applaud her selection for a Po’okela Award.”

Kopra has been teaching at HPA since 1992. At the Upper School, Kopra taught choir, vocal ensemble, and chamber ensemble. She also was the Big Island coordinator for the State High School Honor Choir for six years. Kopra currently teaches seventh grade performing arts, sixth grade music, and Middle School electives. Her next Middle School production is Bugsy Malone, which is being presented at 7 p.m. on October 14 and 15 at HPA’s Gates Performing Arts Center.

Founded in 1979, the Hawaii State Theatre Council is a cooperative statewide association of theatrical presenters that includes in its membership every major community theatre in Hawaii as well as many smaller groups, several for-profit performance organizations, theatre departments of the University of Hawaii, and several high schools with active drama programs.