Makerita Urale is a documentary director and playwright, and a leading figure in contemporary Polynesian theatre in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

. She has produced landmark productions in the performing arts. She is the writer of the play ''Frangipani Perfume'', the first Pacific play written by a woman for an all-female cast. Working in different art mediums, Urale also works in film and television. She is the director of the political documentary ''Children of the Revolution'' that won the Qantas Award (2008) for Best Māori Programme.

Early life

Urale was born on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. The family moved to New Zealand in the 1970s where they lived in Wellington. In 2010 Urale received the

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency at the

University of Hawai’i A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

Biography

Playwright

In 2000 Urale's play ''Frangipani Perfume'' (1998) was listed Top 10 plays of the decade by literary magazine ''

The New Zealand Listener The ''New Zealand Listener'' is a weekly New Zealand magazine that covers the political, cultural and literary life of New Zealand by featuring a variety of topics, including current events, politics, social issues, health, technology, arts, fo ...

''. The play was first staged 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 ...

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 ...

in 1998 with a cast of three women that included her sister Sima. The director of the first production was Erolia Ifopo followed by other directors when the play toured the country and internationally. In 2004, the play was published by Play Press and is a key text in theatre studies at schools and universities. The play is about three sisters, born in the tropical islands of Polynesia, who move to New Zealand where they work as cleaners. The story explores the women's dreams and aspirations through the use of lyrical poetry, imagery and stylised movement. The play was nominated for Most Original Production at the

Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards The Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards were the main theatre awards in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, from 1992–2014, and have been succeeded by the Wellington Theatre Awards. Established in 1992 and sponsored by law firm Chapman Tripp, ...

. The play has toured in New Zealand as well as internationally, including to Canada, Australia and UK. It has also had playreadings in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

and New York. Urale has written plays for children, including ''The Magic Seashell'' and ''Popo the Fairy''The Native Chef by Erolia Ifopo
, UNESCO Paper, Fiji, 25 November 2002. as well as children's books and feature articles in magazines.

Producer

In theatre, Urale was the producer of a number of major productions for the bi-annual New Zealand International Festival of the Arts in Wellington. She was producer of ''A Frigate Bird Sings'' (1996) directed by

Nathaniel Lees Nathaniel Lees is a New Zealand theatre actor and director and film actor of Samoan descent, best known for film roles in ''The Matrix Reloaded'', ''The Matrix Revolutions'' and '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and for starring in ''You ...

and co-written by Oscar Kightley and

Dave Fane David Rodney Fane (born 28 December 1966) is a New Zealand actor of Samoan descent. Early life and education Fane was educated at St. Pauls College in Grey Lynn. Career Fane got into acting quite late and trained at the New Zealand Dram ...

, staged at

Downstage Theatre Downstage Theatre was a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that ran from 1964 to 2013. For many years it occupied the purpose-built Hannah Playhouse building. Former directors include Sunny Amey, Mervyn Thompson, and Colin ...

. The play was nominated Best Production, Best Director and Best Set Design at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards.Awards
Chapman Tripp Awards, Otago University. Retrieved 9 November 2009. Other productions include ''Ricordi'' (1996) at the State Opera House, written by Peter Wells and directed by Colin McColl, ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1998) staged at St James Theatre, and the Samoan operatic work ''Classical Polynesia'' (1998) directed by Iosefa Enari and starring

Jonathan Lemalu Jonathan Fa'afetai Lemalu (born 1976) is a New Zealand bass baritone opera singer. Born to Samoan parents who had emigrated to New Zealand, he was educated in Dunedin. His first singing teacher was Honor McKellar, who began teaching him while ...

. Other theatre productions include ''The Debate'' (1995), ''Duty Free'' (1998), five short plays by Māori writers directed by

Tanea Heke Tanea Jane Heke is an actor, director and producer of theatre in New Zealand. In 2019 she was appointed as /Director of Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. Career Heke is a 1997 graduate from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School and was appointed dire ...

, ''Two Days in Dream'' (2003) written by

Mario Gaoa Mario Gaoa (born 1971) is a New Zealand actor, writer and director, best known as a member of the Naked Samoans comedy group. He is of Samoan descent. As part of the group he has appeared in the film Sione's Wedding; provided the voices of ...

, ''Sex with Strangers'' (2004) directed by Colin Mitchell"Sex With Strangers"
, Brown Pages Directory. Retrieved 9 November 2009. as well as working on ''Paradise'' (2003), directed by

Lemi Ponifasio Salā Lemi Ponifasio (born in Lano Samoa), is globally renowned for his progressive application to theatre, politicking, and engagement with indigenous, Māori and Pacific peoples. He was the Arts Foundation Laureate in 2011, and was the recipi ...

for

Auckland Festival Formerly known as Auckland Festival, Auckland Arts Festival or is an annual arts and cultural festival held in Auckland, New Zealand. The Festival features works from New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and beyond, including world premieres of new wor ...

. In 2007, she was the event producer of the opening festival of Tagata o le Moana, the permanent Pacific exhibition at National Museum of New Zealand, which brought together performers and artists around the country."Tangata o le Moana Opening Festival - Labour Weekend 2007"
, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 9 November 2009. In 2008, she produced the short film ''Journey to Ihipa'' directed by Nancy Brunning."Journey to Ihipa"
, NZ Film Commission.

In the arts, there is light, hope and breathtaking beauty in innovation, courage and creativity. (Makerita Urale 2021)

Documentary film director

Urale has directed a number of documentaries, including ''Savage Symbols'' (2002), which premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival,''Gang Girl – Tarnz's Story'' (2005), ''Mob Daughters'' (2006) and ''

Nesian Mystik Nesian Mystik was a New Zealand hip-hop/ R&B group which formed in 1999. The cultural backgrounds of its members united a remarkable diversity of Polynesia by bringing together Cook Island, Tongan, Samoan and Maori ancestry. As well as pro ...

'' (2006). The award winning documentary ''Children of the Revolution'' focused on the children of iconic political activists in New Zealand as well as landmark protest movements during the 1970s and 1980s. The documentary featured interviews with

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 Co ...

activists

Tame Iti Tame may refer to: *Taming, the act of training wild animals *River Tame, Greater Manchester *River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley *Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality * "Tame" (song), a song by the Pixies from their 1989 alb ...

, Māori Party Member of Parliament

Hone Harawira Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene Harawira is a New Zealand Māori activist and former parliamentarian. He was elected to parliament as the member for the Māori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau in 2005 as the Māori Party candidate. In 2011, following ...

and his wife, former NZ Green Party MP

Sue Bradford Sue Bradford (born 1 July 1952 in Auckland) is a New Zealand activist, academic, and former New Zealand politician who served as a list Member of Parliament representing the Green Party from 1999 to 2009. Bradford is an eco-socialist. In 2019, s ...

, musician and

Polynesian Panthers The Polynesian Panther Party (PPP) was a revolutionary social justice movement formed to target racial inequalities carried out against indigenous Māori and Pacific Islanders in Auckland, New Zealand. Founded by a group of young Polynesians on 16 ...

Minister of Culture

Tigilau Ness Tigilau Ness (born c. 1954) is a Niuean New Zealand activist and reggae artist, and performs as Unity Pacific. Ness is a political activist and first generation Pacific Island New Zealander. Lifetime achievement award In May 2009, Ness was prese ...

, anti-apartheid leader

John Minto John Minto (born ) is a New Zealand political activist known for his involvement in various left-wing groups and causes, most notably Halt All Racist Tours. A 2005 documentary on New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers listed him as number 89. Tod ...

. Hip-hop star

Che Fu Che Kuo Eruera Ness (born 1974), better known by his stage name Che Fu, is a New Zealand hip hop, R&B and reggae artist, songwriter and producer. A founding member of the band Supergroove, as a solo artist he has gone on to sell thousands o ...

is the son of Ness, and he features as one of the children. Other works include freelancing for the television arts series ''The Living Room'',''The Gravy'', a short experimental documentary ''The Other Day in Paradise'' as well as directing an AV installation in the permanent Pacific exhibition at the National Museum of New Zealand. Urale has produced numerous music videos including ''Reverse Resistance'', ''Groovilation'', ''Ko Wai Ka Hua'' and the underwater ''Sub-Cranium Feeling'' for King Kapisi, directed by her sister Sima. Filmed underwater, the music video won best music video awards including Flying Fish, BFM and TVNZ Mai Time. In 2003, the video received an award from New Zealand On Air for contribution to music video making in New Zealand.

Arts leader

Since 2011 Urale has worked at

Creative New Zealand The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government, investing in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes and developing markets ...

, the arts funding and advocacy agency of the New Zealand Government. In 2023 she was in the role of Senior Manager Pacific Arts.

Personal life

Urale has two brothers and three sisters, who also work in the arts and media. Urale's sister

Sima Urale Sima Urale is a New Zealand filmmaker. Her films explore social and political issues and have been screened worldwide. She is one of the few Polynesian film directors in the world with more than 15 years in the industry. Her accolades include th ...

is a filmmaker and brother

King Kapisi Bill Rangi Urale is a New Zealand-Samoan hip-hop artist. Music career He was signed up as an artist with Festival Mushroom Records (NZ). In 2000 he released his critically acclaimed debut album ''Savage Thoughts'', followed by a second album, ...

is a hip-hop artist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Urale, Makerita Samoan emigrants to New Zealand 20th-century New Zealand dramatists and playwrights New Zealand women dramatists and playwrights Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century New Zealand women writers 21st-century New Zealand dramatists and playwrights 21st-century New Zealand women writers New Zealand documentary filmmakers New Zealand women film directors New Zealand women film producers New Zealand film producers