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MY
PENINA – FIONA COLLINS CELEBRATES BEING SAMOAN |
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Courtesy of Creative New Zealand |
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When you go to Fiona
Collins’ play, you’ll be welcomed into the fale (or house) to celebrate
the 50th wedding anniversary of an elderly Samoan couple. My Penina is
the story of Aniva and Pelenato - their love for each other, their
grandchildren and their Samoan heritage.
“It’s a universal love story with various twists and turns,” Collins
says. “I want to welcome my audience as part of the show, make them
feel safe and then guide them into a life that people will identify
with regardless of their culture.”
In My Penina, audience members become the guests at the celebration and
are offered a cup of koko Samoa as the stories unfold.
Collins, a New Zealand-born Samoan who lives in Lower Hutt, wrote the
play and is also performing in it as the elderly Aniva. A graduate of
Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School, she has acted in Vula, The
Vagina Monologues and Awhi Tapu.
Sharing the stage with Collins is Aleni Tufuga in the role of Pelenato
and Toi Whakaari student Natano Keni as fa’afafine housegirl Maraea
Garry.
Experienced director and playwright Karl Kite-Rangi saw the debut
production of My Penina at the New Zealand Fringe Festival in
Wellington earlier this year. Describing the play as “ferociously
truthful and rip-roaringly funny”, he says: “I loved being able to sit
on the stage and feel the action moving through and around me. I felt
like I was part of the family as they shared their stories with their
audience.”
Collins turned to writing last year. She says that My Penina was
inspired by the artworks of her brother-in-law, Noel Faifai, and the
play’s original cast members, Ioane Leota and Jerome Leota.
The play melds the English and Samoan languages, as Aniva and Pelenato
share their stories through text, dance, songs and the paintings that
their artist grandson in New Zealand sends to them.
The grandson’s paintings hang on the walls of the fale. They are, in
fact, the paintings of Noel Faifai, who lives in Lower Hutt.
Collins is also working on another play, Under My Mother’s Mattress,
which pays homage to her mother and other Pacific |
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Fiona Collins' play 'My Penina' celebrates being Samoan, where
audience become the guests and are offered a cup of koko Samoa
as the stories unfold. |
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Sharing the stage with Fiona Collins is Aleni Tufuga in the role
of Pelenato and Toi Whakaari student Natano Keni as fa'afafine
housegirl Maraea Garry. |
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The
grandson's paintings that hang on the walls of the fale in the
play, are in fact, the paintings of Noel Faifai, who lives in
Lower Hutt. |
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women in New Zealand. She
has received a grant from the Pacific Arts Committee of Creative New
Zealand to write and workshop this play.
“My daughter is twelve and she’s a big motivation for my writing. I
want her to be able to see her Samoan culture and language on stage.
She’s really excited about coming to see My Penina.”
Collins, who also composed the music and choreographed the dance, hopes
to be able to tour the work. “I like the simplicity of the show. It
would be easy to tour and I really want a whole lot of people to
experience the show’s intimacy and enjoy the stories.”
Fiona Collins received a grant from the Pacific Arts Committee towards
the presentation of My Penina. The play will run at Thistle Hall in 293
Cuba Street, Wellington from 11 to 15 December and bookings can be made
by contacting Thistle Hall (04-384 3088).
For more information please contact Victoria Parsons, Communications
Advisor at Creative New Zealand.
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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