CusickGallery.net: Henry Ian Cusick

The delightful Mrs. Cusick discusses per passion for the arts and children,

the genesis of her show ‘Blue,’ and her love for her island community.

Mahalo nui loa, Dayna and Nathalie, for this really nice piece on one of our favourite people!

Out of the Blue

By Dayna Even | Photos: Nathalie Walker

( Page thru the magazine here )

There is certainly nothing blue about Annie Cusick’s persona. Well, maybe except for the color of her captivating deep-sapphire eyes. Vibrant, creative and engaging, she floats through her Kailua home dressed in a shimmery dress (yes, it’s blue) while explaining her affinity for the color—which also stood as the inspiration for a new play she wrote, aptly titled blue. Cusick is also the director of the production, which opens this March for Honolulu Theatre for Youth at Tenney Theatre.

“I was chatting with friends about their new shows. One was called Red and the other friend’s show was called White,” explains Cusick with her very Scottish inflection. “We laughed that I should do one called ‘blue’ to round out the colors of the Union Jack or American flag. But it wasn’t until I went to the beach and began wondering what it would be like to live in a world that was completely blue that the concept came to me. I am so completely and totally inspired by the ocean and island life.”

The main character in the play, Blue, lives in an entirely blue world until one day a red sock appears. Produced for children age 3 and older, the play addresses tolerance and multiculturalism.

“I found myself with a never-ending pile of laundry, the result of having three boys and a husband. So I originally set the show in a launderette. The launderette ended up going, but the red sock remained,” Cusick adds. “Basically, the red sock infects the blue household and forces the characters to look at and accept each other’s differences.”

Cusick moved to Kailua with her husband, Henry Ian Cusick (Ian to Annie and friends), when he landed the role of Desmond Hume in the popular television series Lost. The couple, celebrating 20 years together, has three children: Eli, 18, Lucas, 14, and Esau, 12. Neither Ian nor Annie is a stranger to island life. Ian was born in Peru, raised in Trinidad and later lived in Scotland. Annie grew up in Scotland on the Isle of Islay, a small community of about 3,000 residents.

“Everyone on Islay knows each other and there is such a strong sense of community. They don’t know the word aloha, but they share it. You don’t really get that in London, where we were living before Kailua, but I felt it again—that same sense of community—when we moved to Kailua. We were embraced by a great group of friends, which was exactly what I needed as I was somewhat regretful of the fantastic job I had just left behind.”

Prior to moving to Hawai‘i, Cusick held the coveted position of artistic director at Polka Theatre, London’s world-class theatre for children. A theatrical instructor, playwright and award-winning director, her credits now include Hawai‘i productions Sensational and Where Do Things Go? (HTY), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown andThe Red Balloon (HEARTS Hawaii).

“After Lost ended, we couldn’t imagine leaving Kailua. There is a huge sense of community here and we want our children to have a place they call home. I love knowing my kids can safely ride their bikes to Kalapawai or grab a shave ice. Their friends are here. They go to school here—Le Jardin and Punahou. We’ve just built too much of a network of friends and life to leave.”

While Ian has to sometimes commute to L.A. (he has landed a lead role in ABC’sScandal, which premieres in April), Annie continues to embrace O‘ahu’s artistic community. She sits on the boards of Honolulu Theater for Youth and HEARTS Hawaii, a Windward nonprofit arts education organization. When not writing or directing, she is learning to play the guitar and piano from Kailua-based teachers Harry Koizumi and Pamela DeBoard, respectively. Her home is decorated with works by Kailua artists such as Jodi Endicott and Karen Keifer—and, not surprisingly, her own children’s artwork.

“I love working with children. I feel artistic endeavors are imperative to education. You must expose children of all ages to the arts for fulfillment and enrichment of their lives,” she says. “I’m so fortunate to be part of that for my own children and also to promote that for all children.”

Her passion for the arts and children is only surpassed by her devotion to her family.

“I’m so fortunate to work where I can still spend quality time with my children. Being with someone for 20 years—I know it sounds cliché or corny—but I don’t regret any minute of it. You learn to weather all the storms and embrace them as just part of life’s experiences. They nurture the relationship.”

Annie sure isn’t singing the blues. Life is good.