Samoan actors take centre stage

Pacific islanders tell story of Samoa’s creation

AUSTRALIA – Samoan actors and singers are set to take to the stage in Melbourne, with one of the biggest shows from the Pacific islander theatre community in Australia.

The play, Amataga O Le Alofa or The Beginning of Love, is an original take on the Samoan creation myth.

Rita Seumanutafa, founder of the Pacific Island Creative Arts Australia (PICAA) production company, said it was a rare opportunity for Pacific island actors wanting experience on stage.

“The writer, the director, the singers, the actors – we’re all here because we want to start our CVs as creative artists in Australia,” she said.

“We want to use our Samoan-ness to be able to do that, so that we don’t have to compromise on our identities as Pacific islanders in Australia.”

The performance tells the story of three heavenly gods who have a falling out when one decides to create the sea and islands that are Samoa.

Semuanutafa, who is also an academic studying the history of Samoan music, said singing had always played a central role in the Samoan community.

“When a Samoan child is brought up in their Samoan environment, we learn so many creative ways of living,” she said.

“Every song and dance, it has a purpose in our everyday lives.”

Multicultural Arts Victoria contributed funding to put on the production, which PICAA is performing in two Melbourne suburbs with large Pacific islander communities.

The production company’s associate director, Asalemo Tofete, originally from New Zealand, said that with the Samoan community being dissipated across Melbourne far more than in his home country, such events were even more important.

“These are the elements we had growing up in church, growing up in our families. You know, the music, any gatherings that we had it was always around food, music, conversations, laughter, telling of stories and things like that,” he said. “So it’s like a bigger version of that.”

Lead actor Sanele Savea, who studied at acting school in New Zealand, said it was extremely difficult for Pacific islanders to break into the Australian acting scene.

“It’s been hard to get roles here in Melbourne, they look at us and say, ‘oh you know, a role for that guy who’s Pacific islander will be like a security guard’. This is a great platform for me to get my feet back in.”

- ABC