The tragedies and triumphs of 161 years of Maori history come to life in entertaining and thought-provoking style in the Tim Bostock/Taki Rua of New Zealand production of "Woman Far Walking." Tale explores Maori struggles
Review by John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.comRachel House stars as Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a 161-year-old Maori woman named for the 1840 treaty between the Maori and the English. The Maori thought the treaty guaranteed their rights as the indigenous people of Aotearoa. As it turned out, the terms of the Treaty of Waitangi weren't honored by the English. Waitangi turned out to be the Aotearoa/New Zealand equivalent of the Great Mahele in Hawaii.
The years since 1840 aren't a pleasant period of Maori history, but Te Tiriti o Waitangi -- Tiri, for short -- makes her story entertaining as well as educational. She's a keen observer of contemporary culture despite her incredible age, occasionally uses modern slang, and takes pride in not looking "a day over 130."
Tiri is also just a bit kolohe. Her true-to-life comments about sex and the circumstances of her marriage at age 13 were met with hearty laughter during a preview performance for Kamehameha Schools students on Wednesday.
Sex and marriage are the lightest and brightest topics in Tiri's story. Her memories of 19th-century New Zealand allow knowledgeable audiences an opportunity to compare the cultures of Maori and Hawaiians, and their experiences in dealing with powerful alien cultures in the 19th century.
Tiri was 6 when her mother sent her to live with some weavers in a valley four days away from her home. By the time Tiri returned from the valley, much had changed for the Maori. The changes weren't good.
Tiri and her family joined the resistance forces of Maori prophet Te Kooti. Our knowledge of the outcome makes her account of the battles no less compelling; our knowledge that she survived the carnage of a Maori rear guard's "last stand" does not dilute the impact of her story.
"Woman Far Walking": Repeats at 8 p.m. today at Leeward Community College. Tickets are $10 to $20. Call 455-0385. Also: On neighbor isles: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at Kauai Community College, 808-245-8270; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 and 28 at Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 808-242-7469; 2 p.m. Sept. 30 at Palace Theatre, Hilo, 808-934-7777
Subsequent events are covered in less detail: epidemics, the loss of Maori sovereignty, racial discrimination, the stirrings of cultural rebirth -- and a secret that echoes down through several generations.
Nicola Kawana co-stars as Tiri's contemporary interlocutor. She also slips skillfully in and out of numerous other characters. Maraea Huia-Koria appears as one of Tiri's descendants who represents Maori hopes for the 21st century.
All this is shared on a stage dark and bare but for a chest and Tiri's throne-like chair.
Playwright Witi Ihimaera's incorporation of Maori songs and dances adds color and cultural authenticity. House and Kawana are impressive cultural ambassadors in an unvarnished look at Maori history.
With luck, "Woman Far Walking" will inspire Hawaii's native playwrights to take an equally well-written look at Hawaiian history. In the meantime, House's portrayal of Ihimaera's appealing protagonist makes "Woman Far Walking" excellent theater.
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