About us
Talk Story Collective was created out of our deeply rooted connection to Hawai‛i and experience being raised there. This inspires us to honor its history by prioritizing Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and Pacific Islander stories in order to preserve them, while embodying cultures that reflect modern day Hawai‛i.
Our collective leadership resides in cities across the continent. We aspire to establish chapters in many cities to expand Talk Story Collective’s network and reach.
Christina Uyeno
Born and raised on O’ahu, Christina is an actress/voice actress and products for the Hawai’i Talk Story. As a former company member for Honolulu Theatre for Youth, some credits include The Ballad of Mulan, Red Balloon, and Home of the Brave. Education credits include Windward Community College, and summers abroad at East15 Loughton and the Original Shakespeare Birthplace Summer Intensive program in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Her love for comedy and film has led her to study with The Imagined Life with Diana Castle and ImprovHI. She is so excited to bring pieces of her home to Vegas with many more opportunities to come.
She just made her debut at Vegas theatre with A Public Fit in Spring 2025 and won Best Actress in the Las Vegas 48 Hour Film Project for her role in On The Set.
Wainani Paikai
Born and raised on the island of O’ahu, Wainani’s experiences have given her opportunities to go across the country to where she is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. With over ten years of event experience, her work ranges from coordinating large-scale fundraiser to small business pop-up events and artist workshops.
She has been able to continue to develop her logistics and organizational skills in order to help other companies and organizations through project management and creative production. This change has also given her opportunities to pursue other creative projects, mostly servicing LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
Kelsey Angel Baehrens
A mixed Filipina actor, director, and aspiring educator from Kailua, O‛ahu, Kelsey has acted across the country, most recently in King Lear at Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Stop Kiss at Theater Mu, and Cambodian Rock Band at East West Players, the 2022-23 national tour, and Mānoa Valley Theater. She was fortunate to grow up in O‛ahu’s thriving theater communities, including ‛Ohi‛a Productions, Hawai‛i Shakespeare Festival, PAPA Hawai‛i, and Mānoa Valley.
As an associate director, she’s proudly helping to develop Jeannette, a new musical about the right to vote. Other creative team credits include director for KOA Theater’s production of Pride & Prejudice and assistant to the artistic director at the O’Neill Center’s National Music Theater Conference.
Kelsey’s also proud of her work as an artist ambassador with the NYCLU and a youth educator in Honolulu.