The Prophet is a 2004 play by New Zealand playwright Hone Kouka. The play has themes of teenage pregnancy and suicide. It is the third play in the Waiora trilogy of plays. It was first performed at the 2004 New Zealand Festival of the Arts in Wellington. It was published by Playmarket in 2006, and televised as part of the six-part series of Māori plays Atamira in 2012.
History The inspiration for the play came when playwright Hone Kouka was touring in Gisborne in 1999 with his play Waiora. While he was there a cousin's child committed suicide. The Prophet was his attempt to find out what teenagers would think about this. The cousins are the children of characters from the first play in the trilogy, Waiora: Ty is Mahurangi's son, Laura and Matt are the children of Rongo, Andrew Beautiful is the son of Amiria, and Maia is Boyboy's daughter. The parts Aunty Kay and Laura were written for the actors Tanea Heke and Waimihi Hotere.
Characters The cousins
Ty – 20 years old Matt – Laura's brother, 18 years old Laura – 19 years old, Matt's sister Andrew Beautiful – 16 years old Maia – 20 years old and mother to a baby boy
And
Kay – In her early forties, the mother of the boy who committed suicide, and aunt to the cousins DJ Ngutu – Waiora's DJ
Synopsis Five teenage cousins return home for the unveiling of a cousin who committed suicide a year ago. The play takes place over three days and is set on a basketball court. It deals with themes of suicide, teenage pregnancy, and urban and rural Māori.
Productions ProductionDateCrewCastStudio 77, Victoria University (workshop)June 2002Director: Kirk Torrance, Hone KoukaTy: Jason Te Kare
Laura: Marie Louise Williams
Maia: Miriama McDowell
Matt: Jarod Rawiri
Andrew Beautiful: Mark Ruka
Aunty Kay: Waimihi HotereDownstage Theatre, Wellington (premiere)12 March 2004 – 21 March 2004Director: Nina Nawalowalo Dramaturg: Catherine Fitzgerald
Kaumātua: Enoka Waitoa
Set designer: Ross Gibbs
Sound designer: Warryn Maxwell
Lighting designer: Jennifer Lal
Waiata: Hone HurihanganuiTy: Jason Te Kare Maia: Miriama McDowell
Matt: Jarrod Rawiri
Andrew Beautiful: Mark Ruka
Laura: Maria Walker
Kay: Tanea Heke
DJ Ngutu: Mark WagnerMaidment Theatre, Auckland26 March 2004 – 3 April 2004Hawai'i, Tawata Productions17 Oct 2006 – 31 Oct 2006Jarod Rawiri Waimihi Hotere
Taungaroa Emile
Andrew Beautiful
Miriama McDowell
The play was televised as the last part in the six-episode series of Māori plays, Atamira. The episode aired on Māori TV on Sunday, 27 May 2012 at 8.30pm. The cast included Tola Newbery, Matariki Whatarau, Juanita Hepi, Cian White, Scott Cotter, and Waimihi Hotere.
References