Malo e lelei
Kia orana
Tena koutou
Ni sa bula
Taloha ni
Talofa lava
Fakaalofa lahi atu

Welcome to the after-match report from Banana Boat’s first fono in Mangere, woot woot.

Present

– were GRANT BAYLEY, MAUREEN FEPULEA’I, JASON TAOUMA, LEILANI UNASA, GERALDINE WARREN, JENNI HEKA and DAVID MAMEA.

Apologies

– were received from a double-booked LOUISE TU’U and an otherwise engaged OLIVIA MULI’AUMASEALI’I.

Banana Boat Business

JENNI has, as previously threatened stated, officially stepped down as co-facilitator. LEILANI has taken up the reins. We expect JENNI to continue her attendance and, without the group coordinating/facilitating being in her way any more, finding the time to write the stories she’s been threatening to write since Banana Boat set sail.

MAUREEN was outed as being flown down to Wellington because she’d been shortlisted for one of the 2011 Adam New Zealand Awards. UPDATE: Maureen went on to win Best Play by Pasifika Playwright. Malo le galue, Maureen!

There was some discussion about Maureen’s experience about having her first play being workshopped, with LEILANI giving some insights into how the writer can fit in with the workshopping process.

UPDATE: Banana Boat has done it again with more creative clinics and a newbie workshop at 2011 Pasifika.

News to Use

Banana Boat’s Matariki Creative Clinic is looking for some plays to develop. Think you’ve got what it takes? Deadline is 20 MAY 2011. The Clinic itself will be in June. See below for further details.

Playmarket’s Brown Ink initiative, previously the Pasifika and Maori development initiatives, is looking for submissions, due 08 JULY 2011. Get writing.

Coming Up

There’s a rumour that LOUISE TU’U’s Le Tauvaga will be up in May. Go hassle her at We Should Practice for more details. Tell her Dave sent ya.

Banana Boat clinics will be going two for two at this year’s Matariki in June-July:
– Creative Clinics, 11-12 June, with an evening presentation on Sunday the 12th;
– Newbies Workshop, 12 June.

And speaking of Matariki, two Banana Boat writers’ works will be on:
– CHRIS MOLLOY’s The Last Taniwha; and
– MICHAEL REWIRI-THORSEN’s Strong Hands.

The Creative Clinics will be travelling to the Hawkins Theatre in Papakura in September/October, dates and times to be advised closer to the time.

Banana Boat has already booked dates for some Christmas Cheer in late November, early December. Be afraid.

Writing Exercise

At Someone’s insistence, those present were ambushed with a writing exercise. Here’s some parameters, Someone Else said. Now write a page of dialogue in fifteen minutes. And at the end of those fifteen minutes, a coup de grace: Now read it out loud.

I think it went something like that.

People didn’t walk out. Or spontaneously self-combust. Some even said it wasn’t too hard. They got some writing done, others said. People seemed to like it.

So it might even be done at the next meeting. But in a different form. Maybe.

Script Reading

— was provided by DAVID – another work in progress – and also in serious need of finishing. (He’s working on it. In between feeding his BPRD addiction.)

Next Fono

– will be on THURSDAY 21 APRIL 2011 at the Toi Ora Live Arts Trust, 6 Putiki Street, Grey Lynn. Future fono may alternate between Grey Lynn and Mangere. Watch this space.