Written by Kahurangi Carter & Amaria Connell
Directed by Amaria Connell
Performed by Kahurangi Carter
Venue: The Meteor
On: 27 & 28 September 2019
Aroha Is A Maori premiered at The Meteor’s Toi Wahine Festival. The show explores the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation, and answers the question ‘How Maori do you have to be to be a Maori?’
This one-woman comedy was written by sisters Kahurangi Carter and Amaria Connell. Carter plays the role of Aroha, an Auckland University law student and wannabe Instagram influencer, who visits her non-verbal Grandmother and regales her with an insight into studying Te Reo at Te Wananga o Aotearoa.
Carter proved to be a fantastic mimic from streetwise Michelle to the overtly camp TWA tutor, to a posh private school teacher. There were plenty of kiwi jokes, and Carter ad-libbed effortlessly particularly when the audience reacted to some contemporary references. Her voice projection and diction was superb, and there was a tantalising snippet of her natural vocal prowess.
Aroha Is A Maori would work well as a school play or in a festival setting, and has capacity for expansion. The work benefit from some minor refinement, but Carter and Connell have certainly produced a show that has the potential to go far. An enthusiastic audience received this first performance extremely positively.
Carter is a gifted storyteller who was a delight to watch. Aroha Is A Maori is empowering, quirky, funny and a reminder to own who you are.
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