A cultural comeback or cultural continuation? Māori theatre and the cultural renaissance, 1955-1975

Abstract

The Māori renaissance, particularly its incorporation of radical Māori activism of the 1970s and 1980s, is a well-known facet of New Zealand history. This renaissance in political consciousness is often understood to have gone hand-in-hand with a similar cultural renaissance – a revival of an artistic and cultural awareness. However, unlike its political counterpart, there was no dramatic shift in Māori cultural consciousness in the 1970s. Māori have always been culturally and artistically aware, and this did not falter in the mid-twentieth century. This thesis shows that the renaissance era from the 1970s was largely one of cultural continuity rather than revival. The history of Māori theatre as it has been written so far has suffered as a result of the idea of a Māori cultural renaissance. Because many consider Māori artistic endeavours to have only restarted in the late twentieth century, the totally Māori-controlled form of theatre from this time is considered the ‘truest’ Māori theatrical form. It is then constantly held up for comparison to others that differ. As productions dating before 1970 often had some degree of Pākehā involvement, they are either considered to be inferior or are overlooked entirely. Consequently, earlier Māori actors and theatre practitioners have only rarely had their work and efforts acknowledged. This thesis focuses on the decades immediately prior to the renaissance era, from 1955 to 1975, to demonstrate that there was a substantial Māori presence in New Zealand theatre, and subsequent Māori cultural consciousness, before the time of ‘renaissance’ in the late twentieth century. Māori theatre flourished in the mid-twentieth century: Māori performers acted in Pākehā written plays, Māori writers and producers collaborated with Pākehā theatre practitioners, and Māori managed their own distinctly Māori productions. This thesis highlights the importance of considering the history of Māori theatre before crediting its existence to a renaissance movement that obscures more than it uncovers.