Stage Scene
LCC offers Maori-themed drama

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Staff Writer

The play "Woman Far Walking," being produced at the Leeward Community College Theatre, explores the Maoris' history in dealing with the white settlers of New Zealand. Leeward Community College "Woman Far Walking" 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday Leeward Community College Theatre $15-$20 455-0385 Also: 7:30 p.m, Tuesday, Kaua'i Community College; 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Sept.28, Maui Arts & Cultural Center; 2 p.m., Sept. 30, Palace Theatre in Hilo.

"There was an old woman on TV who was getting a telegram from the queen (of England) for turning 100 years old — something that happens all the time in commonwealth countries," Ihimaera recalled, speaking from his office at New Zealand's University of Auckland, where he is an English professor. "And my mother — who isn't 100 yet — turned to me and said, 'If I turned 100 and the queen sent a letter like that to me, I would spit on it!' "

Strong words, admitted Ihimaera, but apt in light of his mother's vivid recollections of years of being discriminated against as a Maori.

The author of a number of award-winning fiction and nonfiction tomes on Maori culture, Ihimaera imagined a novel that would look at the often-troubled relationship between his indigenous culture and the Pakeha (Maori for "white people") through the eyes of a protagonist who had seen the best and the worst of that relationship. When the enormous amount of historical detail inherent in such a novelization began to appear unruly, Ihimaera decided a more focused 80-minute play would lend more power to his subject matter and hero.

The result is "Woman Far Walking," which spans the last 160 years of the Maori-British relationship through the story of Tiri Mahana, a woman born on the Feb. 6, 1840, signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The production, featuring New Zealander Rachel House in the role of Tiri, makes its Hawai'i debut with two performances at Leeward Community College Theatre today and tomorrow.

Designed to bring an end to years of tension between the Maori and the British, the Treaty of Waitangi was a pact between the two cultures meant to protect Maori land interests in exchange for recognition of British sovereignty.

"The treaty guaranteed that the Maori people would be able to retain their land, their language and their culture," said Ihimaera. "And almost immediately, it was broken."

Infractions by the British subsequently led to a restoration of tensions, two wars in the 1860s, and decades of civil unrest between the Maori and British that exists to this day.

"It's really the same old story that has happened elsewhere," said Ihimaera, comparing the story of the Maori-British relationship to that of Native Hawaiians and the U.S. government. "By having a woman like Tiri who has lived as long as the treaty has existed, I've been able to traverse the history of the Maori-Pakeha relationship, which is the same sort of relationship that all indigenous peoples have had with majority people."

Mirroring Ihimaera's works as an author, "Woman Far Walking" is also based on stories from his own family, including his mother, father, grandfather and even Ihimaera himself.

"I come from this wonderful, wonderful family of Maori," said Ihimaera, humorously remembering his family as something of a Maori version of television's "The Waltons." "They used to call me Witi Boy Walton because I was always taking notes and listening to what everyone was saying. Sometimes I'd hear them say, 'We'd better shut up because here comes Witi Boy Walton.' "

Lest potential ticket buyers get the impression that "Woman Far Walking" is some kind of somber historical and political treatise with little for general audiences to relate to, Ihimaera offered assurance that the play would resonate with anyone who loves good theater.

"It's serious, but it's also funny," he said. "Tiri can be any woman ... anywhere in the world. Basically, it's the story of every woman who has ever had to battle for her children or her grandchildren, and remains a survivor. That's what Tiri is all about."