Fighting For The Warrior (Toa) Inside
A prominent member of Queenstown’s Maori community will stage a play in the resort this winter which he wrote 40 years ago to heal in the aftermath of losing someone dear to suicide.
Hud Rapata says he had never planned to release the play publicly but there’s been “enough talking and it’s time to act”.
He’s currently looking for actors – seven male and two female, to play the powerful monologue roles in the short play, inspired by real events that Hud experienced 40 years ago in Invercargill.
“The story emphasises the unfortunate circumstances around suicide, and while it’s sad and difficult, it needs to be said,” he says. “Nothing’s improved since that time. In fact the problem has grown insurmountably worse. The statistics for us Maori are devastating and here in New Zealand we have one of the highest suicide rates in the world.”
“The focus of the play isn’t on the victim, but the aftermath for those left behind as they deal with the trauma and have to live with it,” he says. “There’s often a lot of pre-build up and particular circumstances leading to a suicide.”
He’s done a lot of research in the past few years and decided it was time to air his play publicly. “I now have the courage to bring it into public view and face it myself.”
Hud, once an advisor to former Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia, says he’s spoken to local businesspeople who want more of a holistic and encompassing approach to this issue in our community.
“Yes, it’s incredibly sad and traumatic, but hopefully this play will wake us up to what’s going on. I don’t know why this subject is still so taboo. It has to be opened up,” he says. “It’s an inhumane and desolate place for these people to be and I’m urging them to get help and make a choice not to do it for those left behind.”
“There’s been enough talking being done. I’m propelled to stage this play and this will be an incredible event for Queenstown to hold,” he says.
“It’s time to care for the local community. Under all the development, development, development, people are homeless and can’t afford to live here, being forced to go to food banks.”
Hud says it had been frustrating trying to get some up-to-date statistics on local cases specific to this area.
Called ‘Toa’ (warrior) the play will launch in Queenstown in early July and Hud hopes to take it to Invercargill, where the story is based, then around NZ.
Once selected, the cast will rehearse for a few months. “It’s not just a doom and gloom story. The events leading up to that situation 40 years ago were funny, full of joking and banter on the Saturday, then he took his life on Monday. He was only 20 and a real darling, excelled in life, and it still amazes me why he did it. He was obviously putting on a brave persona, but suffering inside,” says Hud.
Hud is seeking funding help from the Mental Health Foundation for his project through its Puna Putea/Social Action Grants scheme launched to promote mental health awareness.
He and his supporters are also seeking local sponsorship and fundraising support to help get the play off the ground. “I will be pushing on regardless of funding though as there’s so much support from people who have lost whanau to suicide, and from the wider community,” he says.
To get involved:
Email: toaplaywriteqt2023@gmail.com
(A page dedicated to Toa with further information will go up online soon.)
