East West Players, Los Angeles' Asian Pacific American theatre, presents the "mainland premiere" of The Taste of Kona Coffee opening Jan. 30, running through Mar. 9. Kona was first produced at the Kumu Kahua theatre on the island of Honolulu.

Edward Sakamoto's tenth comedy-drama is spoken in Hawaiian Pidgin English. The play revolves around two Nisei Brothers fighting to free themselves from old world traditions and poverty, but finding themselves bound by the constraints of Neo-colonialism.

Coffee marks the return of EWP's funding artistic director, Mako, who has appeared in over 40 plays and earned an Academy Award nomination for the film Sand Pebbles, and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in Pacific Overtures. Mako served as artistic director at EWP for 24 years, during which time he earned two Best Director awards, the Margaret Hareford Award from the L.A. Drama Critics Circle, five Best Director awards from Drama-Logue, and directed David Henry Hwang's first play,F.O.B.

The Taste of Kona Coffee runs Jan. 30-March 9. Tickets are $23, for tickets or more information, call East West Players at (213) 660-0366, or refer to the regional listing on Playbill On-Line.

--By Blair Glaser