At the centre of every Kōanga Festival is the annual Playwrights’ Programme play readings, with emerging and established writers presenting newly developed works. This year’s playwrights include Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne (Out of the Ashes), Geoffrey Clendon (Take Kuri The Dog Tax Rebellion), Hine Parata-Walker (The Jumpers) and Acacia O’Connor and Ngāhiriwa Rauhina (Te Urupuia).
This year’s festival also has works from Pōneke and Ōtautahi making their Auckland premieres.
From Poneke, there’s He Māori?, written and performed by comedian Isaac Martyn. The work is infused with music and laughter with musical exploration into the absurdity of being both the colonised and coloniser in Aotearoa.
Also from the Windy City is ONO, which has its debut presentation at Circa Theatre early next month before travelling to Te Pou. ONO showcases pieces from six Māori and Pasifika playwrights, including Jthan Morgan, Michaella Steel, Vela Manusaute, Isaac Martyn, Poata Alvie McKree, and Tainui Tukiwaho.
These different stories weave together ideas and concepts of aroha/alofa (love) In various ways; from learning to love our bodies, to the mysteries of sisters; from lost and loveless fathers to a whānau bound by struggle.
Fresh from Whao23! Festival In Ōtautahi, we will share a reading of Hohepa Waitoa’s bilingual work Jim’s Room, which weaves stories of the 90s from our tāne Māori.
The opening presentation will be the newly published te reo Māori translation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, retitled Rōmeo raua ko Hurieta, and translated by Te Haumihiata Mason.
It will be a magical night celebrating one of the world’s most famous plays and te reo Māori. A popular stable at the Kōanga Festival is the annual Kaumātua Day and Whānau Day.
The Kōanga Festival will be hosted at Te Pou Theatre, Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Lebanon Lane, Henderson, Auckland from September 15-24.
