Iaheto Ah Hi

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The Tautai of Digital Winds - Review

The Tautai of Digital Winds

What does it mean to feel incomplete? In the search for identity, cultural or otherwise, do we look forward or back?

The Tautai of Digital Winds provides a unique blend of Polynesian mythology and storytelling, contemporary experiences, art, dance and music to weave a vibrant production that spans generations and cultures. The cast of new and seasoned actors breathe life into characters attempting to navigate their way through an increasingly digital world.

The production hinges on two main narratives that bleed into each other. 16 year old Maui Inati, a kinetic (because he’s always on the move), free-spirited but troubled boy played with the perfect amount of teenaged arrogance by Aisea Latu and the story of Celeste, quiet, poetic whose diary entries detail a story of teenaged angst and heartbreak that ends rather surprisingly- intensely portrayed by Jennifer Perez.

The live band is great, stand-out scene: when Celeste is having an intense journaling session dripping with teenaged angst as the band plays an emotional track while interpretive dancers use movements to depict Celeste’s turmoil. The play ends on a rather ambiguous note, taking us back to the initial monologue right after Celeste’s scene that somewhat mirrors Tavita’s (Maui’s brother) except the scene ends before we can find out if Celeste does what Tavita did. The fragmented way in which the story is told allows the show to mess around with time and take us anywhere, a bit like a TV show.

The use of video from the Bollywood fantasy- real talk I had a math teacher just like Mr Sadhavas- to Isumus (lol y’all know isumu means mouse in Samoan, right? RIGHT? More on this Jklol Thoughts below) the hacker’s vlog- was on point. There’s an abundant referencing and use of technology, digital winds indeed.

Ultimately I did feel the play was a tad long, with a few somewhat dragged out scenes, at over two hours and no intermission it could seem a bit much. However the play hits all the emotional notes with the right amount of humour. The poignancy is not undercut, however, just alleviated.

There’s a chance for it to become a little preachy, running the risk of coming off as an after-school-special but there’s a enough gritty realism to stop this thought short. The Tautai of Digital Winds takes the audience on a journey through cultural disconnection and offers contemporary views on the navigation toward identity while giving a hat-tip to traditional mythology.

Written and Directed by Iaheto Ah Hi and co-directed by Leilani Clarke.

WHEN: August 5th to August 16th 7pm-9.15pm
WHERE: Mangere Arts Centre – Ngā Tohu o Uenuku
Corner Orly Avenue & Bader Drive
Mangere Town Centre
Mangere

VERY NICE, HOW MUCH: Adults: $20.00, (6-18 years): $10.00

BOOK NOW: Eventfinda

 

JawkwardLOL Thoughts during the show, in no particular order:

- Tokelauan and Samoan are really, really, similar. I mean I thought so before but I pretty much understood what they were saying in Toke. ALSO yo that feke (octopus) story whose story is it? Because there’s a Samoan myth that’s basically identical, we even have a song! Which I kept singing in my head.

Si fe’ē, tago ia i lou ulu
Po’o a ea, na mea o iai
A o si fe’e, ua tilotilo mai
Ua le malie lona loto
I le mea ua fai

English translation:

Poor Octopus, touch your head.
What is that on it
But the poor octopus was looking over
Not at all happy
With what was done

- Where can I get me one of those vests?

- I’m pretty sure that’s a funeral song. IT IS! Manaia manaia le lagiiii- don’t sing along to the funeral song you vale. But why’d the kids sing a funeral song for White Sunday-OH. Interesting. This play is in support of suicide prevention and support. There’s a disconnect between the song and White Sunday, while disconcerting, serves to make you stop and think- wait that’s not right… or am I reading too much into this?

- The lady behind me keeps talking, lol should I find her a mic?

- Yaaasss leg stretch.

- I can dance like that…no you can’t- okay I can’t.

- Jess should have come, that bollywood fantasy would have been right up her alley. Lol is that the Mangere Bridge?

- It was a good thing Luisa came so I can bombard her with questions about organisations mentioned.

- Straight up, what kind of gang leader nickname is Petalz. Also I would so watch a TV show about their gang. Can we get that funded because I need more of Blinky. BLINKY’S MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER.

- Are you loyal, tho’?

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The Tautai of Digital Winds - JawkwardLOL Theatre Spotlight

The Tautai of Digital WindsWritten and Directed by Iaheto Ah Hi and co-directed by Leilani Clarke, THE TAUTAI OF DIGITAL WINDS is a Kinetic Wayfinding Theatre Production you don’t want to miss.
Funny, emotional and inspiring, The Tautai Of Digital Winds is a poignant urban story that gives voice to the issues of cultural alienation in support of suicide awareness and prevention. Expect a look at cultural disconnection and a search for identity in this merger of two plays written by Iaheto Ah Hi. The production promises an insight into the growing influence of social media and technology in the day to day lives of urban Pacific teens growing up in Niu Sila… and potentially some LOLs.
With a large cast of both seasoned and new, The Tautai Of Digital Winds is sure to be electrifying, fresh, vibrant and innovative, with unforgettable characters shared through the fuse of both hip hop theatre and multimedia performance art.
Sounds like our kind of production.
WHEN: August 5th to August 16th 7pm-9.15pm
WHERE: Mangere Arts Centre - Ngā Tohu o Uenuku
Corner Orly Avenue & Bader Drive
Mangere Town Centre
Mangere

VERY NICE, HOW MUCH: Adults: $20.00, (6-18 years): $10.00

BOOK NOW: Eventfinda

MORE INFO HERE: The Tautai of Digital Winds Story

 

 

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Black Faggot - A JawkwardLOL Play Review

Starring: Iaheto Ah Hi and Taofia Pelesasa
Source: Multinesia Productions

Multinesia Produtions in association with THE EDGE presents Black Faggot, a play written by Victor Rodger, directed by Roy Ward and produced by Karin Williams and enjoyed by anyone smart enough to grab a ticket. Starring talented actors, Iaheto Ah Hi and Taofia Pelesasa, as a torrent of memorable characters from an ‘undercover brother’ to a proud Samoan mother and gruff Samoan father to a ‘famous as’ fa’afafine, the LOLs will most definitely not be silent at the Herald Theatre in Aotea Square until after Black Faggot’s stint ends on the 8th of March.

Rodger’s play about what it means to be young, poly and gay; as told through a multitude of flash sketches is, unsurprisingly, riddled with sexual references, simulated sexual acts and potty mouthed characters. The sharp writing packs a punch both emotionally and comically, Black Faggot is never short on the wit, managing to illicit a cackle every other minute and in the next instance managing to evoke stirring moments of acute poignancy. Poignant enough to drag an emotion from even the coldest dead heart of this black soul. We’re lucky to see the play before it heads off to international festivals, picking up many much-deserved awards along the way. Ward’s direction sees a very simple production without sets, props, costumes, music or effects- just two great actors, excellent lighting, and perfect timing.

Taofia Pelesasa and Iaheto Ah Hi do a stunning job of portraying each character with the right amount of high energy and exaggeration, Iaheto’s explicit (though fully-clothed) scenes are an excellent combination of over the top sounds and absurd facial expressions. He did warn us he’d throw in some ‘extra innapropriate moaning’ for the heck of it. Much appreciated!

Taofia’s ability to hush an audience with an expression is realised with each monologue as Christian, a young Samoan praying to God to make him straight. Starts off initially as a light-hearted request but each time he comes back to ‘pray the gay away’ you feel the hopelessness building. Christian’s last monologue is perhaps the most affecting moment of the night as he pleads with an unanswering God about why he didn’t make him straight if it was what God wanted. When Christian informs God of his weariness with his situation, of being tired of his dad looking at him like he wishes Christian wasn’t his son, the way Taofia’s voice stalls like he’s barely holding it together is an exquisite show of skill.

The play doesn’t shy away from confrontation at all, from confrontational gay characters to outright gestures of homophobic prejudices and immature namecalling right alongside brilliant lines. These all work together to offer an insightful commentary on how the paradigms of homosexuality and the pacific are shifting but not without continued effort. With the largest Polynesian city in the world, Auckland New Zealand, as the backdrop you’re treated to an array of characters and stories all transitioning into each other seamlessly. Woven so well, and sometimes without even a breath in between, the monologues, scenes and ridiculously hilarious sketches seem to form a rich Pacific tapestry of lives and experiences of not only gay Polys but of those around them.

Seriously, go see ‘Black Faggot’ at Herald Theatre, Aotea Square. Last two shows this Saturday, 8 March.

Tickets $20-$25 | TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ or 09 970 9700.

Honourable [Mildy Spoilery] Mentions:

- The Samoan father trying to get to his poker site via his history and coming across “big black cocks”. And his son’s cover up story about a school assignment about “…minority chickens”.

- I swear the Samoan mum reaction of jumping directly to ‘ARE YOU IN TROUBLE’ is just so ‘Samoan Mum’. Also very Samoan in general, *gasp* ‘is she a Tongan?!’

- “He smiled and I was like DAMN HE’S A TONGAN!”

- Let’s make calling something ‘straight’ as an insult a thing. OMG THAT’S SO STRAIGHT! Stop being so straight, haha YOU’RE SO STRAIGHT!