Nga Pou Wahine 24-28 Jan
The Briar Grace-Smith's award-winning play Nga Pou Wahine is about to get another airing in the capital.
The play, first performed at Taki Rua in 1995, tells the story of Kura, a young woman who dreams of escape from her job in a tomato sauce factory. As the play unfolds, she pieces together the truth about her family. With a mixture of drama and humour the play moves from the present day to the events surrounding Kura's birth twenty-one years before, and weaves these with the powerful history of her ancestor, Waiora.
Originally written to counter a lack of major roles in theatre for Maori women, in Nga Pou Wahine Briar Grace-Smith brings to the stage six magnificient pou; six fabulously flawed and memorable characters. Nga Pou Wahine won 'best short play' at the Chapman Tripp Awards in 1995 and Grace-Smith also won the Bruce Mason Playwrights Award the same year.
Well known Wellington actor Tina Cook (Skitz, Waiora, Blue Smoke, also director of Toa Fraser's Paradise) is directing Nga Pou Wahine. Tina is about to complete the Master of Theatre Arts in Directing degree, taught by Victoria University and Toi Whakaari:NZ Drama School. The six-character, one-woman show will be performed by Olivia Violet Robinson, most recently seen in Maui: One Man Against The Gods, Enemy of the People and When Sun and Moon Collide.
Grace-Smith said of the play, "When I was a child, I remember being taken out fishing with my father in Whangaruru harbour. While we were out there, he told me the story of a great tupuna with long red hair. She was captured, and while being taken out to sea, she cut her hair and threw it into the waves, so giving back her mana to her people. Although much of it I had forgotten, that story became the inspiration behind writing Nga Pou Wahine ".
Although Nga Pou Wahine has had several successful seasons, the most recent was in 1998 in Christchurch. Its return has been eagerly anticipated by those who missed seeing it when it was first produced.
The season at Studio 77 , on Fairlie Tce in Kelburn, runs from Tues Jan 24 to Sat 28. Shows are at 7.30pm. Tickets are $12 full price and $10 concession. Bookings can be made on 463 6880.
The play, first performed at Taki Rua in 1995, tells the story of Kura, a young woman who dreams of escape from her job in a tomato sauce factory. As the play unfolds, she pieces together the truth about her family. With a mixture of drama and humour the play moves from the present day to the events surrounding Kura's birth twenty-one years before, and weaves these with the powerful history of her ancestor, Waiora.
Originally written to counter a lack of major roles in theatre for Maori women, in Nga Pou Wahine Briar Grace-Smith brings to the stage six magnificient pou; six fabulously flawed and memorable characters. Nga Pou Wahine won 'best short play' at the Chapman Tripp Awards in 1995 and Grace-Smith also won the Bruce Mason Playwrights Award the same year.
Well known Wellington actor Tina Cook (Skitz, Waiora, Blue Smoke, also director of Toa Fraser's Paradise) is directing Nga Pou Wahine. Tina is about to complete the Master of Theatre Arts in Directing degree, taught by Victoria University and Toi Whakaari:NZ Drama School. The six-character, one-woman show will be performed by Olivia Violet Robinson, most recently seen in Maui: One Man Against The Gods, Enemy of the People and When Sun and Moon Collide.
Grace-Smith said of the play, "When I was a child, I remember being taken out fishing with my father in Whangaruru harbour. While we were out there, he told me the story of a great tupuna with long red hair. She was captured, and while being taken out to sea, she cut her hair and threw it into the waves, so giving back her mana to her people. Although much of it I had forgotten, that story became the inspiration behind writing Nga Pou Wahine ".
Although Nga Pou Wahine has had several successful seasons, the most recent was in 1998 in Christchurch. Its return has been eagerly anticipated by those who missed seeing it when it was first produced.
The season at Studio 77 , on Fairlie Tce in Kelburn, runs from Tues Jan 24 to Sat 28. Shows are at 7.30pm. Tickets are $12 full price and $10 concession. Bookings can be made on 463 6880.
posted by Socket @ 9:20 pm
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