Some of the choir who performed Kane Parsons' Te Marae o Hine, including soloist Faith Henare-Stewart (centre). Photo / Rob Edwards
Some of the choir who performed Kane Parsons' Te Marae o Hine, including soloist Faith Henare-Stewart (centre). Photo / Rob Edwards
Who Are We? Devised by Tania Kopytko Globe Theatre Sunday, November 7 Reviewer: Judith Lacy
At first glance, the question who are we seems like one of those posers a lecturer would give their philosophy 101 class.
After being asked if Evelyn Rawlins was a real person, Palmerston North creative Tania Kopytko was inspiredto create a work to capture and celebrate some of Papaioea's stories.
With Covid affecting so many 150th anniversary celebrations, a big thank you to Kopytko for persevering with getting Who Are We? in front of an audience.
It was to have been staged in August with a performance trail at Te Manawa and an intimate performance in the smaller Globe theatre, but Delta arrived first. In the bigger Globe theatre, we had a full house under alert level 2 rules.
Toi Warbrick - the bicultural arts practice of Warren and Virginia Warbrick - cleverly wove Rangitāne history and that of the Mardon Brothers Flaxmill. Warren's stage presence was impressive.
The second group to answer the question of who are we was the Shree Dance Academy led by Tanu Gupta. Introducing a range of dances from India to Fiji, Nepal to hip-hop, she commented dance needs no language and knows no age. The all-female troupe brought energy, colour and a multicultural perspective. Some of the dancers came on stage before the previous dancer had finished, which was distracting.
World premieres are always a treat and on Sunday we had Kane Parsons' Te Marae o Hine. While he played the Steinway Evelyn Rawlins drove the fundraising for, a choir sang his English and te reo Māori words. Te Marae o Hine - The Courtyard of the Daughter of Peace, is named for Te Rongorito and one her descendants, UCOL student Faith Henare-Stewart, performed an exquisite solo.
After being made to feel like kings and queens listening to a premiere, we had to do some work. Ling Wang asked the audience to stand up, then pick up and cut a virtual watermelon in half, giving one slice to the person on the left and the other to the person on the right. She told us we'd learnt a tai chi move.
Wang gave a spirited tai chi kung fu fan demonstration. She started learning the art in her retirement after moving to Palmy to be with her daughter. Wang is one brave woman.
Sue Pugmire couldn't be there in person but, thanks to the videography of Rob Edwards, we were able to enjoy Time to Live, the song she wrote about her farming grandmother. Pugmire also sang Judy Small's From the Lambing to the Wool, a tribute to her grandmother, city mother and all pioneering women. A lot of work had gone into this segment with history - oral and photographic - woven into the production.
Tania Kopytko says she may well have been Evelyn Rawlins' worst piano student. Photo / Rob Edwards
Kopytko also challenged herself to come up with an answer to the who are we question. She brought to life piano teacher Evelyn Rawlins and ballet teacher Gwen Gibbs, both of whom taught her. It was a beautiful performance and Kopytko, with her dancer's pose, brought to life the studios and teaching practices of these artistic women who taught so many. There was much joy from my friend when Rawlins' fiance Alfred Cleaver was mentioned, a great-uncle of her husband. Maybe it's time for a Gwen Gibbs Room - Square Edge is home to the Evelyn Rawlins Room.
I left thinking Palmerstonians, or Palmytons if you like, are grounded, colourful despite our skies, creative, brave, looking to our past and future, and most of all we have moemoeā (vision).
