Yo sup, homes.

Our third meeting was held on Thursday, 23 October in the Toi Ora Live Art Trust Studio, and was another brilliant meeting of minds.

Highlights:
– Chapman-Tripp award-winning playwright Kirk Torrance, talked about his approaches to structure, and very generously answered heaps of questions on his work and craft; check out his next play, Flintlock Musket, being read at Double Shot at The Edge on 6 December 2008;
– a cooler name for the group was discussed and the front-runners are: Niu Voices, Niu Ink; Niu Blood; The Banana Boat; more suggestions welcome between now and the next meeting when all names will be put to a vote;
– a questionnaire was handed out for members’ perusal and optional completion; a self-explanatory copy is attached;
– after a brief discussion, Jenni Heka, Michelle Johansson and David Mamea will look at putting together a funding proposal for the inaugural 2009 Banana Boat season;
– Jonathan Riley’s scene, a romantic romp in Auckland Zoo, was read by the group with much hilarity, with Mark Amery gamely reading the part of a lavalava- and beanie-wearing Samoan fairy called Makigi;
– Eric Smith’s scene, an intense cross-cultural family drama, provided the group with an excellent change of pace and tone, provoking in-depth discussion followed by Eric having to put up with demands of “What happens next?!”;
– all of the above was done with Bayley Johansson, Bronwen Judd, Sandra Kailahi and Child, Ollie Maiava, Chetan Patel, Phoenix Seve, and Stan Wolfgramm also in attendance;
– and apologies were received from Fasitua Amosa, Tarisi Vunidilo, Louise Tu’u, Nina Tapu and Fiona Collins.

If you want to share your scene/s with the group, please email it/them to David by Thursday, 27 November 2008.

NEXT MEETING will be on THURSDAY, 4 DECEMBER 2008 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm – this is not the fourth Thursday of November; this will be the last meeting for 2008. It will be held at the funky Toi Ora Live Art Trust Studio, 19 Putiki Street, Grey Lynn.

And since this will be the last meeting for 2008, please bring a plate for some after-meeting eating and drinking.

Usually there’d be a word from our sponsor Playmarket, by way of Jenni, but she’s pretty busy – but I’m sure she’d say something like…
– big ups to Chetan and Eric, whose script was chosen for development as part of Playmarket’s Pasifika Playwright Development Forum for 2009; Ali Foa’i was the other playwright to be chosen for development;
– look at the Manukau Festival of Arts (www.mfa.org.nz) for some great free opportunities to learn and share and be inspired;
– and see you at the next meeting!

Thanks, ah, Jenni!