Real-life stories foster an extended sense of family

Madeleine Sami, Joe Folau and Miriama McDowell in Massive Theatre Company's 100 Cousins.

On the lower floor of Auckland's Aotea Centre in a cavernous room used for functions and conferences, Massive Theatre Company is rehearsing its latest work, 100 Cousins.

Company founder/director Sam Scott and the cast have switched off the air conditioning - "we were freezing to death" - so the temperature is tropical. There's also warmth between Scott and her actors, a tight-knit group clearly at ease with one another.

That's just as well because those who work with Massive must be prepared to trip down memory lane - sharing stories and life experiences is pivotal to the creation of the company's shows.

Its most famous play, The Sons of Charlie Paora, used actor Max Palamo's experience of two years in prison as a focal point.

Scott says collecting honest real-life stories allows the company to produce theatre unique to New Zealand, with themes and situations recognisable to audiences, especially youth.

Written by acclaimed playwright Briar Grace-Smith, 100 Cousins began life more than two years ago when Massive was in the throes of taking Sons of Charlie Paora to Britain following sell-out seasons in Auckland and Taranaki.

Not knowing how much life the play had in it (it toured the North Island last year) Massive started work on the new production.

Scott gathered 14 young performers for a two-day workshop where they threw around ideas, many of them rooted in their own experiences, looking for a theme for a new show.

A chance comment by one actor, that he was slightly envious of those who grew up with extended family, led to deeper discussions about family and belonging. Packaging this into a draft script, Briar Grace-Smith focused on the recurring themes in these conversations.

"There was a lot of talk about how we wear masks which reflect the way we want other people to perceive us, but whether you've got the courage to take them off and be who you really want to," she says.

An example of that is the character of Ani, a street kid who is not convinced domesticity is for her. Grace-Smith was inspired by a young woman she saw on a television documentary. "I was blown away by this young woman who had a real presence to her. She was a strong young woman who just wanted to live on the streets but people kept taking her away. They couldn't believe that was the lifestyle choice she wanted to make."

Madeleine Sami plays Ani perfectly, says Grace-Smith. "At the first reading, Madeleine totally nailed it. She has such a gift for being so able to step into different roles and totally inhabit those characters."

Around then, Grace-Smith watched Saturday Night Fever years after seeing it for the first-time. Struck by the charisma and "against the odds" grittiness of John Travolta's character, she included a similarly alluring individual in 100 Cousins.

Set in Arohaina House, a home for young people brought together by circumstance, 100 Cousins questions the definition of family and how our nearest and dearest influence feelings about identity and belonging.

The house's disparate residents include a Christian with a sex addiction (played by Jason Te Kare), two former street kids (Sami and Taungaroa Emile) who dream of becoming wedding planners, the deep-thinking Sefa (Fomal Taito), a naive new girl called Becks (Miriama McDowell) and the troublesome stirrer Lenny (Wesley Dowdell).

Into the mix comes Sione Schuster - aka the Polynesian Disco God (Joe Folau) whose vivid fantasy life and determination to live his dreams throws everyone into a spin.

While the Charlie Paora cast was involved in the initial storylining, Scott cautioned they would not all get parts in the new work. As it happened, several weren't available anyway.

Taungaroa Emile, an actor Scott knew but hadn't worked with, was cast after the storylining process had begun. Emile was ecstatic; he had long been angling for a part in a Massive production. The whole idea, he says, was to be challenged by the company's intimate and energetic brand of theatre.

For writer Grace-Smith, whose previous work is anchored in her Maori heritage, 100 Cousins challenged her to explore other cultures and inhabit an urban Auckland she was unfamiliar with.

Her writing was temporarily halted by family. The mother of two teenagers, Grace-Smith fell pregnant with her now 21-month-old daughter Mairehau.

"I had her and thought I could throw myself back into it, but I was just so exhausted. My creative energy absolutely left me and, yes, I did worry whether I would get it back. When she was about 15 months old, things started falling into place again."

Massive, she says, was totally supportive during this time and kept her updated with progress on casting as well as inviting her to rehearsals. She went along with Mairehau who, she says, was totally embraced by the cast.

"She just loved them, too. There were a couple of times when we had to drag her off the stage. It was wonderful that I could go back to them [Massive] and share and be inspired by them. Having their support meant I wasn't all alone in the room when it came to the writing.

"It has made me remember that there's room for variety in the creative process: You can work alone or share the journey."

A bit like family, really.

* What: 100 Cousins

* Where and when: Herald Theatre, Mar 31-Apr 21