Althea is an unproduced play about the 1932 Massie Affair in Hawaii. Grace Thalia Fortesque (renamed “Althea” in the play) accused five local men-of-color, including prizefighter Joseph Kahahawai, of kidnapping and sexual assault. The court case ended in a mistrial. Then, Thalia’s mother took matters into her own hands by kidnapping and murdering Kahahawai in an attempt to extract a confession. She was caught, tried, and convicted but her 10-year sentence was later commuted to only one hour. Althea was never produced over concerns of legal repercussions as some of the parties involved were still alive at the time it was written. Producing the play could have been perceived as an invasion of privacy and resulted in a lawsuit. This sub-series contains four complete manuscripts of this play.

CONTENT WARNING: Althea is set in the 1930s and, as a period piece, it reflects antiquated social attitudes that are considered offensive today. It contains instances of racist language; discussions of violence, murder, and sexual assault; and suicide. This is a work of fiction and the values and opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of the author. Reader discretion is advised.