Helen Pearse-Otene is a New Zealand

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

playwright, film actor, author and psychologist.

Biography

Pearse-Otene grew up in South Auckland, New Zealand. She studied at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

and Toi Whakaari, and holds a master's degree and a PhD from

Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...

. She is a registered psychologist. She is affiliated to

Ngāti Rongomaiwahine Ngāti Rongomaiwahine or Rongomaiwahine is a Māori people, Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) traditionally centred in the Māhia Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand. In the 2006 New Zealand census, 2006 census, 4,254 people identified as Rongomaiw ...

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative di ...

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...

Te Rarawa Te Rarawa is a Māori iwi of Northland, New Zealand. The iwi is one of five Muriwhenua iwi of the far north of the North Island. Rūnanga and marae Te Rarawa has 23 foundation marae: *Korou Kore Marae, '' Ahipara'', represents the hapū of Ng� ...

Ngāti Kuri Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

and

Ngāti Ruanui Ngāti Ruanui is a Māori iwi traditionally based in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. In the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the traditional areas of the iwi. History Early hist ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

. In 1989 her partner

Jim Moriarty James Moriarty (born 20 June 1953) is a New Zealand actor and theatre director, who began acting professionally in 1967. He came to national attention and is probably best known for his role as the school teacher Riki Winiata in the 1970s soap ...

was one of the founders of a theatre company called Te Rākau Hua o te Wao Tapu, which works in prisons, youth residential homes and on marae; Pearse-Otene joined the company in 1999. It is New Zealand’s longest-running independent Māori theatre company. Her theatre practice has been influenced by Te Rākau's kaupapa Māori, founded on the principles of

Te Tiriti o Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...

and influenced by features of Bertolt Brecht's

Epic Theatre Epic theatre (german: episches Theater) is a theatrical movement arising in the early to mid-20th century from the theories and practice of a number of theatre practitioners who responded to the political climate of the time through the creati ...

, such as direct address, minimal technology and the aim of social change, also a purpose of

Augusto Boal Augusto Boal (16 March 1931 – 2 May 2009) was a Brazilian theatre practitioner, drama theorist, and political activist. He was the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical left popular education movemen ...

Theatre of the Oppressed The Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) describes theatrical forms that the Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal first elaborated in the 1970s, initially in Brazil and later in Europe. Boal was influenced by the work of the educator and theoris ...

. As both script-writer and workshop facilitator, Pearse-Otene has in-depth experience of applying ensemble movement and chorus to the work of Te Rākau as well as integrating waiata and

kapa haka Kapa haka is the term for Māori action songs and the groups who perform them. It literally means 'group' () and 'dance' (). Kapa haka is an important avenue for Māori people to express and showcase their heritage and cultural Polynesian identi ...

, through Marae Theatre. Earlier examples of this theatre form include Rowley Habib's play, ''The Death of the Land,'' performed in

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

and community halls, and ''In the Wilderness Without a Hat'' by

Hone Tūwhare Hone Peneamine Anatipa Te Pona Tūwhare (21 October 1922 – 16 January 2008) was a noted Māori people, Māori New Zealand poet. He is closely associated with The Catlins in the Southland region of New Zealand, where he lived for the latter ...

, directed by

Don Selwyn Don Charles Selwyn (22 November 1935 – 13 April 2007) was a Māori actor and filmmaker from New Zealand. He was a founding member of the New Zealand Māori Theatre Trust and directed the 2002 film '' Te tangata whai rawa o Weneti (The Maori me ...

, and set at a marae

tangihanga ''Tangihanga'', or more commonly, ''tangi'', is a traditional Māori funeral rite held on a marae. While still widely practised, it is not universally observed in modern times. Each iwi (tribe/nation) differs on how they honour those who pass. ''T ...

. Although the work of Te Rakau uses marae features such as

pōwhiri A pōwhiri (called a pōhiri in eastern dialects, and pronounced in the Taranaki-Whanganui area) is a Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, cultural performance, singing and finally the '' hongi''. It is used to both welcome guests onto ...

, it is performed in a range of venues:

kāinga A kāinga ( Southern Māori ''kaika'' or ''kaik'') is the traditional form of village habitation of pre-European Māori in New Zealand. It was unfortified or only lightly fortified, and over time became less important to the well-defended pā. D ...

, schools, prisons, youth justice residential and community centres, as well as mainstream theatres throughout

Aotearoa ''Aotearoa'' () is the current Māori-language name for New Zealand. The name was originally used by Māori in reference to only the North Island, with the name of the whole country being ''Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu'' ("North Island and South ...

. Through ensemble work, the aim is to craft evocative theatre that honours Māori expressions of

colonisation Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

, trauma and social justice. The genre includes traditional and contemporary Māori performing arts, applied theatre and therapeutic encounter. As an actor, Pearse-Otene showed her interest in exploring the history of Aotearoa from a Maori perspective by performing the role of Faith in ''1981'' by John Broughton, a production directed by Toni Waho at Centrepoint Theatre in Palmerston North. The following year Pearse-Otene performed in ''Duty Free'' by Ngarupiki Reid, directed by Tanea Heke, which had a fortnight season at

BATS Theatre BATS Theatre is a theatre venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Initially founded as the Bats Theatre Company in 1976, then established in its current form in 1989. BATS Theatre has seen the development of many performing arts talents of New Zeala ...

. In 1998 she also performed the role of Ellie in ''Tricyle'', which Pearse-Otene co-wrote with Mark Sant and Anne Nordhaus. As a playwright, Pearse-Otene aims to present the past, present and future complexity of collective history in Aotearoa. ''The Undertow'' involves a 180 year journey through six generations of one

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

-based family in a quartet of plays: ''The Ragged, Dog & Bone,'' ''Public Works'' and ''The Landeaters.'' Pearse-Otene carried out extensive research for the play including settlers’ and Armed Constabulary diaries, newspaper articles, and ngā kupu tuku iho (oral histories) of local

Iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

. ''The Undertow'' was presented at Soundings Theatre at Te Papa: The Museum of New Zealand as a quartet in 2017."So why is it called THE UNDERTOW? Because even as we strive toward a safe shore, the past pulls us back, tugging at our collective conscience? Because our health, safety and longevity depend on our recognising the hard-to-face truths that surge beneath the surface?" It was filmed by cinematographer Waka Atewell and edited into a four part television series that aired on

Māori Television Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

in 2019. " Pearse-Otene is a novel writer; she has published two graphic novels in a series called Matawehi Fables: ''Meariki'' and ''Arohanui''. The novels are published in English and in te reo Māori.

Theatre productions

1988 - Through structured devising processes, ''Kia Maumahara'' and ''Watea (Good for Something)'' evolved into public performances at Arohata Prison in Christchurch. The collective memories and testimony of Māori and Pacific Island working-class women focussed on their oppression, especially sexual abuse. 2000 ''- Purotu, the Magic Within'' was devised with young people in care at the Northern Residential Centre, using dialogue scenes interspersed with individual song /rap etc 2001 - ''Te Ahika O Te Manatu Rangatahi'' was created in

Kaikōura Kaikōura () is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1, 180 km north of Christchurch. The town has an estimated permanent resident population of (as of ). The town is the government ...

, focussing especially on teenage angst. 2002 - ''Te Waka Toi o Ngati Toa'' was a youth project for a large cast focussing on themes of abandonment, violence, sexual abuse and addiction through 18 scripted sequences, rap, breakdancing and beat-boxing as well as traditional haka and waiata. 2005 - ''The Battalion- Ka Whawhai Tonu Matau Ake! Ake! Ake!'', scripted by Pearse-Otene, involves 'suitcase', storytelling theatre with minimal props. Two youth at risk are helping an old man clean up a marae for a Maori Battalion reunion as a frame for flashbacks to troubling war experiences. 2008 - ''Ka Mate, Ka Ora'', scripted by Pearse-Otene, is based on the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

with a veteran who becomes mad (pōrangi). His memories are interwoven with the ghost of

Te Rauparaha Te Rauparaha (c.1768 – 27 November 1849) was a Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars, receiving the nickname "the Napoleon of the South". He was influential in the original ...

. 2017 - ''The Undertow - The Ragged, Dog & Bone, Public Works'' and ''The Landeaters'' at Te Papa: The Museum of New Zealand scripted by Pearse-Otene

Publications

* Pearse-Otene, Helen (2020). "Theatre Marae" (PDF). ''MAI A New Zealand Journal of Indigenous Scholarship''. vol 9 issue 3: 226–336 .MAI_Jrnl_2020_V9_3_Otene_FINAL.pdf *Pearse-Otene, H. (2020). ''The underTOW.'' Wellington, N.Z: Te Rākau Hua O Te Wao Tapu Trust. *Pearse-Otene, H., & Burdan, A. (2015). ''Meariki: Te rapunga i te pono''. Wellington, N.Z:

Huia Publishers Huia Publishers (HUIA) is a book publishing company based in Wellington, New Zealand established in 1991. HUIA publish material in Māori language and English for adults and children. HUIA was founded by Robyn Rangihuia Bargh (CNZM) and her ...

. *Pearse-Otene, H., Burdan, A., & Morrison, S. (2013). ''Te huakore: Te muna o te whatu''. Wellington, N.Z: Huia mō Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga. *Burdan, A., Pearse-Otene, H., Teepa, K., & McNaughton, T. O. P. (2012). ''Arohanui''. Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa: He mea whakaputa tēnei tuhinga e Huia Publishers.

Awards and recognition

In 2010, Pearse-Otene won "Best Female Actor - Feature Film" at

Wairoa Māori Film Festival The Wairoa Māori Film Festival is New Zealand's premiere Māori and indigenous film festival. The festival is held annually in the small coastal town of Nūhaka, Hawke's Bay, during the Matariki celebration period. The festival first occurred i ...

for her role in ''No Petrol, No Diesel!.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearse-Otene, Helen Living people Ngāpuhi people Te Rarawa people Ngāti Ruanui people Ngāti Kahungunu people Victoria University of Wellington alumni Toi Whakaari alumni Massey University alumni Ngāti Rongomaiwahine people New Zealand Māori writers People from the Auckland Region Year of birth missing (living people)