Taotahi ma uo explore the world

Tu Tangata, Issue 18, 1 June 1984, Page 28

Taotahi ma uo explore the world

By Keri Kaa

The New Depot in Courtenay Place, Wellington, was the setting for a new play, “Le Matau The Hook”, directed by Helen Jarroe and Stephen Sinclair. The play was a group effort, scripted, edited and workshopped by the players themselves, a group of Polynesian and pakeha friends who all worked together as Taotahi ma Uo, Taotahi and friends.

The original Taotahi was formed in 1980 when seven friends from Wellington High School of maori, Samoan and Tokelauan descent were encouraged by their English teacher Felicity Day to express their frustration and despair about being Polynesian in an urban environment through the medium of theatre. Darcy Nicholas, director of the Wellington Arts Centre, gave them a room at the centre. They began by writing their ideas on large sheets of paper and pinning the sheets to the walls. With the aid of a tape recorder they would act out their ideas and feelings about the political and social issues which affected their lives, particularly racism. They also decided to restrict membership of the group to those young people of Polynesian descent only, feeling that the time was right for Polynesians to tell their own stories in their own way. That summer the group were employed under the Summer Studentship scheme, two more friends from Wellington Boys and St Pat’s Town joined them, and they were given the name “Kinetic Connotations”. During the

Summer City Festival they wrote, directed and presented a play for children “The Santa Claus of Rangiora”. In their free time they wrote another play, “Atia”, the story of a young Samoan/Maori boy and his struggle to cope with school, family and peer group pressures. “Atia” received a mixed reception wherever it was performed. Elders were confused by it, some found the harsh language and swearing offensive, teachers were upset by the classroom scenes, others loved it. Taotahi gave almost one hundred performances of “Atia” in the Wellington region and then took it to Auckland in Easter of 1980. Since that time group members have been busy establishing themselves in careers ranging from journalism to teacher training to drama school. Membership of the group has fluctuated but they keep in touch with one another. In 1982 they wrote and performed a new play called “The Empire” for the Waitangi Action Committee hui. They also participated in a weekend hui for maori artists and writers at

Hongoeka marae and produced a number of skits about contemporary life. “Le Matau”, their 1984 offering, took a year to create. Membership was extended to include people not of Polynesian descent, but that decision was reached only after long discussions. Hence the new name Taotahi ma Uo Taotahi and Friends. “Le Matau” is the story of a young Samoan male, loane, who comes to New Zealand to live and work. He joins his aunt and three New Zealand born cousins in a flat in suburbia and sets out on his erratic and painful journey. He has trouble finding a job, he doesn’t speak acceptable English, he wears funny clothes. The traffic terrifies him, the hard streets hurt his feet and he discovers the pubs. At home he is subjected to constant pressure to achieve great things, make lots of money, send money home to Samoa, go to church, give money to the church, and remember his obligations to his aiga, his whanau. He lands a job as clerk in a real-estate agency, struggles to maintain his own standards of honesty and decency, and discovers that smiles and charming fibs help sales along. From that point on loane’s rise to the top is inevitable, and he rapidly acquires all the trappings of the sophisticated and wealthy urban dweller. Smart clothes, dinners at elegant French restaurants, and he no longer

cares about his aiga. When his father dies in Samoa he doesn’t go home and his downfall is terrifying to watch. His family stand aside, powerless to help and unable to stop the tragedy unfolding. Ete Eteuati’s portrayal of loane was a powerful and riveting performance.

A second-year student at the New Zealand Drama School he is a good example of what can be achieved when explosive talent is carefully nurtured and directed by the excellent teaching received from the staff of the school. Onstage, Ete displays that rare quality, a magnetic stillness. I was strongly reminded of the great Polynesian orators all around the Pacific who command attention by their presence and their stillness. Moka Tamapeau as the anxious mother and aunt was a delight. The three cousins in the family played by David Saena, Phillip Patau and Ramona Tiatia were most convincing as the new generation of Polynesian adolescents caught in the crossfire of obligations to aiga here and in Samoa. Their natural relaxed style onstage heightened the dangers of rashly adopting the best and worst features of a palagi lifestyle, thus becoming estranged from their own cultural roots like their cousin loane.

I found the parallels to maori/pakeha situations painful to watch, for their experience has been our recurring nightmare since we left our rural kainga to establish new lives in the cities and towns. Jamie Brown as the villain of the story gave a strong performance as the

ambitious, ruthless and nasty realestate agent. Helen Jarroe, Stephen Sinclair and Jamie together provided a strong contrast to the laid-back style of the Polynesian actors. Individually they were excellent and as a group they provided much-needed wit, humour and a crisp hard edge to the action. Musical accompaniment for the production was a group-directed effort by Samson Samasoni. I liked the way Samoan songs and dances were used throughout the story, for we witnessed the dances in context and not in the isolation of a concert hall. Lighting for the production was provided by the New Depot and the technician Peter Mattiassi works at the Arts Centre. “Le Matau” ran for a three-week season totalling ten performances in front of eight hundred people. Overall I enjoyed this play but there were moments in the story when I was not certain what some of the people in the story actually did for a living. Tougher

editing will correct these minor flaws. My warmest congratulations to all who were involved with “Le Matau”, especially Helen Jarroe for her sympathetic and skilful direction. All I ask is that the story of loane continues because he must not be left floundering about. It is a story waiting to be told.