Join our very own Professor Angie Farrow and a panel of expert climate scientists and special local guests, to learn the very latest climate science and be inspired by creative projects within our community that help us care about our planet. Read more and register here.
The Regional Theatre Awards this year played host to a myriad of theatre companies from all across the Manawatu, and amongst the throng of talent shone Massey Community Theatre, made up of students and staff from Massey University’s varied drama programmes…and swept the night away with not one, not two, but five wins to their name.
In the spotlight was Firing Line, a piece of street theatre devised, written and performed by 139.333 Creativity In The Community’s class of 2018. Drawing on themes and imagery that evoked Palmerston North’s place in the First World War, the performance took out both the “Best Ensemble” and “Best Original Script and Production” awards for its skilled, colourful cast and engaging presentation. The show’s technical support team made up of Luke Anderson, Leith Haarlhoff, Sean Monaghan and NZ composer David Downes was not forgotten either, winning the “Technical Design and Operation” award for their enthralling multimedia work that turned Firing Line into such a spectacle.
Two Massey University School of English and Media Studies staff members also received individual awards; technician Luke Anderson won the “Gordon Alve Memorial Award in Technical Excellence”, and Professor Angie Farrow, known internationally as an award-winning playwright and coordinator of theatre papers at Massey, received the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Award”.
Massey Community Theatre endeavours to create further award-winning performances – and people – moving forward.
Create1World 2018 – Auckland Afternoon Workshop OptionsPlease select one of the workshop options below by clicking on the link below its description. Please note, workshops have size limits – if your preferred workshop is full, you will need to return to this page and select another option by clicking a different link. If you have any questions please email us on cre8oneworld@gmail.com
| Workshop Option 1: Character and Culture
(Size limit 25) Room: AT5 Presented by: Stuart Hoar. Stuart teaches theatre and scriptwriting at Massey’s Albany campus. He is a multi-award-winning playwright, radio dramatist, film scriptwriter and novelist. The premiere season of his most recent play, Rendered, ended last month at the Auckland Theatre Company’s Waterfront Theatre. Scriptwriting as a creative process involves putting yourself in the shoes of people whose experiences are very different to your own. In this workshop, you will create a character interaction that aims to authentically convey the experiences of new immigrants to Aotearoa New Zealand, regardless of your own background. To register for Character and Culture with Stuart click here: https://goo.gl/forms/Q9sFf3LmgSwef4gU2 |
| Workshop Option 2: Language as Activism
(Size limit 25) Room: AT6 Presented by: Allan Drew. Allan teaches Creative Writing and Science Communication at Massey. Although his first degree was a Bachelor of Science, he went on to complete Graduate and Postgraduate Diplomas in English at Massey, and ultimately a Masters of Creative Writing (Auckland) and a PhD in English (Victoria). Along with teaching at Massey, Allan still writes when he has the chance – mostly fiction but also essays, creative non-fiction, academic work, and the odd poem, some of which you can read at www.allan-drew.com. Precise and concrete language is a form of activism. To create change, we must write and talk about real things rather than vague concepts – even if these real things are confronting or make us uncomfortable. This workshop will introduce you to techniques for achieving this precision in your own writing, whether you write poetry, fiction, or non-fiction. To register for Language as Activism with Allan, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/pjrIX5tE8d4P91ra2 |
| Workshop Option 3: Image Theatre and Devising
(Size limit 25) Room: AT7 Presented by: Rand Hazou. Rand is a Senior Lecturer in the School of English and Media Studies at Massey Albany, where he teaches theatre and expressive arts. He is a theatre practitioner and scholar with experience working in a variety of contexts. His research interests lie in theatre that addresses exclusion and engages with issues of social justice. He’s particularly interested in intercultural performance and documentary theatre, and has most recently spent time developing performances with the inmates of nearby Paremoremo prison. This workshop will get you devising short performances using Image Theatre techniques based on your own experiences of engaging with issues of social justice. After beginning by discussing and identifying experiences of oppression, you will then be led through a series of exercises to help you develop those experiences into short performances which can be used to facilitate discussion and problem-solving. To register for Image Theatre and Devising with Rand click here: https://goo.gl/forms/fyC6tVPF9bdi0giz1 |
| Workshop Option 4: The Body as Performance Text
(Size limit 25). Room: AT3 Presented by: Dione Joseph. Dione is a writer, director and dramaturge. She has an academic and practical background in live performance and her work has an emphasis on culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Over the past ten years Dione has directed a range of productions in the USA, New Zealand and Australia. She has been teaching at Massey since 2017 as a tutor for various creative and performing arts papers. She’s also one of your wonderful morning artist-panelists… The foundation of every live performance is the performer’s body. In this workshop, you will become aware of how your body is situated in a particular time and place, and how to use your body to create a performance that responds to experiences of social justice or injustice that have helped mould who you are today. To register for The Body as Performance Text with Dione, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/Mkwc4bTdf1GKA2WC3 |
| Workshop Option 5: Wikipedia Inclusiveness Editathon.
(Size limit 15) Room: CLAT2 Presented by: Hannah August. Hannah is a feminist critic and Lecturer in the School of English and Media Studies at Massey Albany. She has published on topics ranging from Shakespeare to women’s experiences of being single in 21st century Aotearoa New Zealand, and has worked as a dramaturg for various theatre companies in both NZ and the UK. She’s also one of the organisers of today’s conference… In the worldwide Wikipedia Editor Survey (2011) of all the Wikipedias, 91% of respondents were male, and the greatest number, or plurality, of editors resided in the United States. We also know that Wikipedia editors tend to be those with sustained access to technology and the internet, and with sufficient income to create ‘disposable’ (leisure) time to spend editing Wikipedia. Your average Wikipedia editor is most certainly not a woman of colour working three jobs to achieve a living wage. This of course skews the information that is available on Wikipedia, because what is included is what is perceived to be of relevance by the majority of editors. This “digital blind spot” particularly manifests itself in a gender gap, which makes it difficult for women to find their own predecessors. As editor-activist Sierra Carlson has commented, “the danger is that if information is not in the database, people may conclude that the missing information is not notable or valuable”. Editing Wikipedia to add notable women and their achievements thus becomes of itself an act of protest and inclusiveness. In this workshop, you will learn some basic tools for Wikipedia editing, and be provided with resources about notable women artists whose achievements are absent or partial on Wikipedia. You will work in teams to start to change that situation. To register for Wikipedia Editathon with Hannah, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/evps4CGKbZNyyDIu1 |
Create1World 2018 – Wellington Afternoon Workshop OptionsIf you are attending Create1World Wellington, you will be aware that after we have enjoyed our amazing panel, and seen the youth finalists, you get to be hands-on yourself in afternoon workshops. To ensure you don’t miss out, please pre-select one of the workshop options below by clicking on the link below its description, then providing your name. Please note, workshops have size limits – if your preferred workshop is full, you will need to return to this page and select another option by clicking a different link. If you have any questions please email us on cre8oneworld@gmail.com We look forward to seeing you at Create1World Wellington on November 15! On the day, we will have helpers on hand to take you to your workshop room.
| Workshop Option 1: Telling Stories through Theatre.
(Size limit 20.) Room: 5D14 Presented by: Rachel Lenart. Rachel is an award winning theatre director, most recently seen at Circa theatre with ‘Modern Girls In Bed’, by Cherie Jacobson and Alex Lodge and ‘Constellations’, by Nick Payne. She teaches theatre studies at Massey University with a focus on production training and dramaturgy. This will be a fun, interactive workshop that will explore techniques of physical storytelling. You will be involved in developing narrative ideas and discovering how theatre can give a simple story new meaning and depth. No previous experience of theatre is required. To register for Theatre with Rachel, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/90a7WqZN9rXMp0Kq2 |
| Workshop Option 2: Creative Writing: Your heart is your gate.
(Size limit 20.) Room: 5D17 Presented by: Massey University Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Dr Thom Conroy. Thom is the author of the novels The Naturalist and The Salted Air. He is the editor of a collection of essays, Home. His short fiction has been recognised by Best American Short Stories 2012 and has won other awards. In 2013, he received a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching. He has extensive experience supervising Master of Creative Writing and PhD students in fiction. Looking inward with clarity and honesty can enhance your capacity to look outward as a compassionate agent of change. In this hands-on creative writing workshop, Thom Conroy will facilitate a process of creative writing and discussion designed to link the concerns and experiences of participants with creating the change they would like to see in the world. To register for Creative Writing with Thom, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/7zROmS3P4QKhFW1n1 |
| Workshop Option 3: How to shoot an impactful interview.
(Size limit 15.) Room: 5D21 Presented by: Massey University media studies lecturer Costa Botes (multi-award-winning documentary film-maker, who has work that has qualified to be considered at the Oscars!). Film is a visual medium. Words are not enough. The truth needs creative help sometimes. In documentaries, information is often delivered via a talking head. How that information is received can be influenced by technical and stylistic choices made by the film-maker. Elements like camera angle, camera height, lens size, depth of field, lighting, and subject eye-line can all affect emotional impact. In this workshop, participants will be shown via practical demonstration how these key elements can be consciously employed and controlled, then get the chance to try them out themselves. To sign up for Impactful Interviews with Costa, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/krmERW03tzJ5wGcG2 |
| Workshop Option 4: Feminist Media Practice.
(Size limit 30). Room: 5D12 Presented by: Dr Claire Henry. Claire teaches screenwriting and filmmaking in Massey’s digital media production courses. She has written and directed several short films screened in film festivals across Europe and Australia, and in New York. As a film theorist, she also has expertise in genre, national cinema, and the cultural politics and ethics of screen violence. From the Guerrilla Girls to Who Needs Feminism?, be inspired by the history of feminist media-based activism in zines, posters, billboards, photography, and social media campaigns. Explore how mainstream media play a role in sharing, reinforcing and policing social ideas about gender, and how you can use media as an artistic catalyst for social change. In this workshop, we’ll explore – and attack! – sexism with creative media-based interventions. To register for Feminist Media Practice with Claire, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/ltAFNj7mb38bxB9I3 |
| Workshop Option 5: Protest Through Performance Poetry.
(Size limit 20). Room: 5C11 Presented by: Associate Professor Elspeth Tilley. Elspeth is an award-winning playwright and passionate advocate of the arts for social change (she’s also your Create1World conference convenor). She was the storytelling facilitator for Te Hā Tangata human library, and runs a fortnightly community-based creative writing and performance poetry workshop at Te Whare Hupa with Te Hā Tangata graduates. In this practical workshop you will build confidence, and learn a combination of written and oral skills to craft a compelling piece of performance poetry. Last but not least, you will get to feel the unrivalled joy of freeing your inner voice for change, and letting it loose in a supportive environment. To register for Performance Poetry with Elspeth, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/9HBlNICTyafUP48c2 |
| Workshop Option 6: Wikipedia Inclusiveness Editathon.
(Size limit 15.) Room: Wellington Campus Library Room 5B18. Presented by: Dr Elena Maydell and Barbara Scott. Elena has published widely on cultural and racial stereotypes in the New Zealand media, as well as on how these stereotypes translate into barriers for minority groups. Barbara is your regional Massey In the worldwide Wikipedia Editor Survey (2011) of all the Wikipedias, 91% of respondents were male, and the greatest number, or plurality, of editors resided in the United States. We also know that Wikipedia editors tend to be those with sustained access to technology and the internet, and with sufficient income to create ‘disposable’ (leisure) time to spend editing Wikipedia. Your average Wikipedia editor is most certainly not a woman of colour working three jobs to achieve a living wage. This of course skews the information that is available on Wikipedia, because what is included is what is perceived to be of relevance by the majority of editors. This “digital blind spot” particularly manifests itself in a gender gap, which makes it difficult for women – and in our case we are interested in female artists and activists — to find their own predecessors. As editor-activist Sierra Carlson has commented, “the danger is that if information is not in the database, people may conclude that the missing information is not notable or valuable”. Editing Wikipedia to add notable women and their achievements thus becomes of itself an act of protest and inclusiveness. In this workshop, you will learn some basic tools for Wikipedia editing, and be provided with resources about notable women whose achievements are absent or partial on Wikipedia. You will work in teams to start to change that situation. To register for Wikipedia Editathon with Elena and Barbara, click here: https://goo.gl/forms/JtViEQQlZiTOzsQS2 |
Lydia Peckham as Andy, in short film Virgo.
“Never underestimate your ability to live your passion,” says Massey University media studies graduate Adelaide McDougall, who has just written and directed her first short film, Virgo.
Narrating a day in the life of a young architect, Andy, who is striving to forge her path through a male-dominated world, Virgo highlights the gendered micro-aggressions Andy receives in the workplace.
The film shows how these constant slights, while seemingly small, pile up until they derail Andy’s ability to do her job. In the film, Andy gets her revenge – but it is the real-world nature of the subtle antagonisms leading up to that point that McDougall wants to highlight. They reflect her own experiences, and those of many of her friends and colleagues who contributed anecdotes to the scriptwriting process.
“I am really lucky with the experiences I’ve had, and I’ve met some truly wonderful people who have supported me non-stop along my film industry journey,” McDougall says. “However, what fascinated me was the small moments – the off-hand comments or jokes, made by both men and women – that support gender inequality, sexism and ageism that are still prevalent in many industries.”
“…what fascinated me was the small moments – the off-hand comments or jokes, made by both men and women – that support gender inequality”
McDougall was inspired to start gathering stories from friends, co-workers and family. “I found that absolutely everyone, male or female, has a story to tell where they have felt under-valued or side-lined by a passing comment, while the person delivering it isn’t even aware that they are speaking in such a way.” Her dream is that this film will shed light on “the seemingly insignificant moments, the inappropriate joke that left you feeling small, all the moments we brush off” so as to “facilitate people to make little changes in each day of their lives that will lend to a bigger cultural change in our society”.
Adelaide McDougall.
Making a socially significant film has been a life-long dream for McDougall. “I’ve always believed that my path is to help people – to help them see life through a different lens. For me, my medium for this passion is film. A tool that I believe is very powerful in facilitating this.”
After university she worked largely in producing for commercials and television in New York and New Zealand, but never lost sight of the goal of making her own work. She started writing the script while still living in New York, and saved $4,000 of personal funds to create Virgo’s budget. She also asked for, and received, a lot of support from film industry contacts and collaborators. “I am honestly awestruck by the generosity and support that I have received from all kinds of people.”
McDougall graduated from Massey in 2013 with a Bachelor of Communication majoring in media studies. She then worked in New York City at a film production company, and after returning to New Zealand had art department and production roles with Paramount Pictures’ Ghost in the Shell, television production company Robber’s Dog, and on Westside (Season Four) with South Pacific Pictures. On the side, she also produced a wide range of music videos, including for David Dallas, Die! Die! Die!, Suntory Time, and Evan Klar for EMI Australia.
Lydia Peckham as Andy in Virgo.
Virgo was McDougall’s final project in New Zealand, as she has now relocated to Vancouver, Canada and is currently working on a film as a Director’s and Producer’s assistant. She will continue to write scripts and make her own films with her new connections there. McDougall will also feature as a panellist on the Massey University youth creative activism conference, Create1World, beaming in from Vancouver to share her creative activism experiences with Kiwi young people at the Wellington event.
Virgo was written and directed by Adelaide McDougall, produced by Greta Cervin, with Tammy Williams as DOP. It stars Lydia Peckham, James Gordon and Tania Anderson. If you want to find out just how Andy got her revenge, check out Virgo at https://vimeo.com/277757273. Adelaide is happy to answer any questions via direct mail to her Instagram @adelaidehelena. You can also see a great interview with her at The Twenties Club http://thetwentiesclub.co.nz/portfolio/an-interview-with-26-year-old-filmmaker-adelaide-mcdougall/
Want some Create1World 2018 info to put up on your class noticeboard? Here’s our latest flyer. Click here Create1World 2018 Flyer PDF for a PDF for you to download!
Kei te hiahia koe ki te tuhituhi? Are you interested in playwriting?
In honour of New Zealand Theatre Month, we’ve put together some short playwriting podcasts, with tips and examples from a few of our many award winning playwriting staff and graduates.
Click here to go through to our Playwriting Podcasts page – and find out more about the inaugural New Zealand Theatre Month while you’re there.
Nau mai, haere mai. Welcome to the Create1World Competition and Conference information pages – Join us to create one world through expressive arts and creativity! Hono atu ki te whakataetae Create1World. Mahi tahi mo te rangimarie.
Massey University invites high school students in years 9-13 to enter the 2018 Create1World competition, and/or to join us for a fabulous day of creative inspiration including local and international panellists answering your questions, along with performances, workshops and activities.
The competition asks you to produce a creative piece that encourages audiences to join together as a global community and solve some of the big problems we face as a planet. It could be a video, song, poem, short story, speech or theatre performance – your choice – but it must help us think about ways of working collaboratively for the betterment of all humanity. There are cash prizes!
“We are still raving about it.” (Teacher, Wellington)
The conference days are free to attend, and give you a feast of creative inspiration from other young people and leading artivists (that’s artists who use their creativity to generate change)! There’s one conference at Massey Wellington, 9am – 3pm on November 15, and one at Massey Auckland, 9am – 3pm on November 22. We provide morning tea and lunch, a goody bag, and a wealth of information and inspiration about creativity and global citizenship.
If you already know you want to come to a Create1World conference day near you – please register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNlSNKwVI01F44LTWZ0uiyuYKP0JsUi1EcbPZo3JH33UCvOw/viewform Registration for the Auckland event has been extended until 5pm on November 8, 2018.
You can attend a conference day without having to enter the competition – but we really hope you’ll do both! It’s great to see what ideas everyone has and share our own Kiwi young people’s creativity alongside our featured local and international artists’ stories about their successful creative journeys.
We are very grateful to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO for supporting Create1World, including with prizes, and travel support for participants (if your school needs help with travel for students, please contact us on cre8oneworld@gmail.com to discuss – we want to see wide participation at Create1World!).
If you’d still like a bit more of a sense of what it’s like to come to a Create1World Conference before you sign up, check out the Radio New Zealand story here: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/standing-room-only/audio/201807707/creative-activism
So get creating and registering, and come join us for Create1World 2018!
“Thank you so much for such an amazing conference today. I had little to no idea what was going to happen and it completely blew my mind how well put together it was. It was so interesting and fascinating to hear different perspectives from not only the panel internationally and domestically, but as well as from teachers/tutors within Massey University. Thank you so much once again❤️” (Student, Auckland)
Writing an internationally acclaimed essay on the feminist themes of gothic novel Frankenstein may not be typical of how mothers spend precious evenings when their youngsters are in bed.
But for Helen Peters – Bachelor of Arts graduate and mother of four – immersing herself in writing about the social significance of a story about a mad scientist and his monster was bliss.
She graduated from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (in absentia) last week and says being able to combine her passion for studying literature and history with motherhood was demanding but well worthwhile – for her personal fulfilment and being a role model to her children. The way she calmly deals with intermittent requests for rice crackers, ‘Gwain-Waves’ and drinks of water while discussing her intellectual life is evidence of her juggling panache.
Helen began her degree by distance three years ago by enrolling in one paper when she was living in Australia with four small children underfoot.
“I chose Massey because I could do it extramurally and I’d heard really positive things about the distance programme from friends,” she says.
She got an A+ for her first paper on Academic Writing, which boosted her confidence and encouraged her to continue studying.
Graduating is a milestone but being awarded a prestigious Highly Commended Undergraduate Award from the Ireland-based organisation was a highlight last year. She was one of four Massey BA students (the only ones from any New Zealand university) to receive the honour, after Massey lecturers impressed by her writing urged her to enter.
Discovering Frankenstein during a Gothic literature paper was a revelation that led to her award-winning essay. She’d had preconceived ideas about it from movies and popular culture. “I thought of it as a man with bolts in his head and a crazy scientist – a story that’s all about men. It is narrated by a man but it’s actually about women, and women’s place in society as the moral compass,” she says. “If you try and ignore this – like Victor Frankenstein does when he creates his monster – it leads to chaos and the breakdown of relationships and family. It was written in the 1800s by Mary Shelley, who grew up without a mother.
“I will never read another book again without seeing so much more – even one paper opens your world.”
The key to studying with young children, she says, is to have a great support network.
“It’s essential that you have someone who understands that you need that time to study, and also to reflect on what you’re studying as well – it’s not just reading something out of book and then regurgitating it. You’ve got to have that time to think it through and process it.”
Her husband Carl is her main support. “He jokes he’s supporting me so that one day I’ll have an awesome job and be able to buy him fancy golf clubs!”
Helen treats the time her kids are at school as her working day, from 9am to 2.30pm. From 7pm to 9pm, her husband helps by cooking dinner, bathing and putting children to bed.
“Even though all I wanted to do at the end of the day was curl up on the couch and watch TV, I would study while they were in bed.”
Her advice for students with young kids? Find that time of day that works best for you to study. If you do not have a partner as support, maybe extended family or friends can take kids for a few hours, she says. “Don’t be afraid to ask for time to study. It’s not selfish to ask for help – remember that the end result will benefit everybody.”
Another key to success in studying with kids is that “you have to have that real passion and drive for it,” says Helen, who wants to be a role model for her offspring, aged ten, eight and twins aged six. “When I’m studying I say to them ‘you can see mum making a big effort – one day you will go to higher education too’.”
With a BA under her belt, Helen plans to follow her passion for New Zealand history to do a master’s thesis on the oral histories of women in the mother and baby homes of the 1950s, 60s and 70s – a topic that has had little attention to date. She wants to examine how women were treated in these homes, inspired after seeing the 2009 New Zealand film Pieces of My Heart.
“As the tide of social mores was turning in 60s when birth control became more readily available, attitudes started to shift from conservative ideas about unmarried mothers into the attitudes we more or less see today,” Helen says.
“It’s no big deal having a baby out of wedlock today. I want to look at that era and have something tangible for those women to show; ‘this is what happened to me’ – for others to know about.”
While she senses some might question; “Why dredge up sad stories?” Helen believes women spend so much of history on the side lines. “There’s so much about women that the history books don’t record because they are more focused on men. Yet the history of women can tell you so much about the prevalent attitudes of society.”
She wants to find 20 women to interview who were accommodated in maternity homes around the country. “Girls would be sent ‘up north’ and come back seven months later, and nothing else was said. It was hushed up because of shame. As women, we want to talk about these big things. It would have been exceptionally painful to have had and held her baby and had it taken away, then go away and never talk about it.”
With her sights set on becoming a full-time academic engaged in teaching, research and writing, Helen believes the study of history – and humanities and social sciences in general – is vital.
“As a historian I think we live in extremely exciting – or interesting – times right now. You’ve got Trump, North Korea and more – one day I think people will look back at this time and think ‘what shall we read to understand what was happening?’.”
Her academic goals and dreams have evolved since she first began her BA journey, enrolling straight out of school in a law and arts degrees at Victoria University, eventually deciding law was not for her, but that she loved history. Helen studied on and off for two years until she moved north to be near her parents to catch her breath after a difficult relationship and mental health issues (post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety).
Her life direction changed when she met her husband, got engaged and pregnant, resuming study with a new sense of direction and a growing family.
Helen is a keen champion of the BA, despite the negative attitudes she’s encountered. “There’s this feeling that a BA is just fluffing around reading books or sitting around talking about poetry. What people don’t realise is that it teaches you to critically think about people and society.”
She believes it is important we have people who can “read books, peel back the layers and see what a novel is saying about society. And people who study history – imagine if we didn’t record the Nuremburg trials after WW II and any other atrocities? All of this is important. Engineering helps to build things, but it doesn’t tell us about what society is like.”
She sees plenty of fertile areas for further research and envisages herself writing history books on “byways” of New Zealand history, including the lives of women as criminals, and women in mental health institutions. In her own family, a relative was put away for her ‘uncontrollable rage’. “What is that exactly? How many women were put away to be out of their husband’s way?”
Studying history has the potential, she says, to spark interest and awareness about tricky areas of our past and to track social change. “Women are expected to be silent – you have a baby and it gets adopted out and you can’t say anything. Or somebody gropes you at work and you have to be silent if you want that job.”
That’s why the history of women is her focus. “It’s a real privilege to do a masters and give a voice to these sorts of silences.”
Helen exemplifies what’s achievable for mature students with families. Her children enjoy coming to the Manawatū campus library to help her carry books, as well as the enriching conversations her study sparks on diverse topics and ideas.
Nurturing the life of the mind is essential counter to the everyday challenges and busy-ness of family life. “When I sit down at my computer and start writing I feel ‘I just love this!’.”
(Helen graduated in absentia due to the logistics of family life, but plans to cross the stage to be capped for her masters).
The importance of speaking out and the pervasive effect of keeping silent transcends the ages in a play being staged in Palmerston North.
Massey University students will tap into Greek mythology and the #metoo movement for their production, The Love of the Nightingale.
The 1988 play by Timberlake Wertenbaker is based on the Greek myth o
f Philomele, who was raped and silenced brutally by her brother-in-law Tereus.
The play touches on themes of feminism, silence and power, as Philomele regains her voice. Director and senior theatre tutor Rachel Lenart said using Greek mythology was a great way to highlight contemporary problems.
“We always try to do something with political and social resonance.
“With the #MeToo movement very much alive, it’s an interesting time for us to perform this play.”
It challenges the audience to think about times when they should have spoken up about something but didn’t.
“The characters are always on stage watching in, like society watching the action unfold. They’re allowed to react accordingly,” Lenart said.
She drew inspiration from a quote by German playwright Bertolt Brecht.
“Art is not a mirror to reflect society, but a hammer with which to shape it.”
The cast is made up of first-year students studying drama in performance, which can also be taken by older students for their elective studies.
It provides an opportunity for new actors to mix with and learn from more established actors in a safe environment.
Lenart said interest in theatre at Massey is on the rise, and past students are returning to volunteer behind the scenes.
“Massey is one of few options for theatre in Palmerston North. It’s a lot of responsibility.
“You don’t have to move to Wellington to do theatre. We are as interesting as anywhere.”
The Love of the Nightingale will be performed at Massey University’s Sir Geoffrey Peren Auditorium, Thursday and Friday, at 7pm. Entry is by koha.
