As The Day Draws In

As the Day draws In is a verbatim theatre piece written by Puti Lancaster and Teresa Woodham, drawn from conversations alongside Hawkes Bay Kaumatua.

It is a story of place, of families, of rich, long -lived lives.

Through the platform of storytelling, we share the unique and intimate voices of six elderly people. They range from 70–91 years of age and their voices reflect the cultural and social richness of the region. 

These stories are of the present and the past, of family - full of love and loss and joy and mischief. The kaumatua, whose anonymity is protected, tell us about who they are now, what formed them, what sustains them and what challenges them. They speak of the ordinary and extraordinary in their long lives.

 As the Day Draws In is theatre of place, from the coast and plains of Heretaunga, Hawkes Bay. We are interested in theatre making that has its roots in the place we live. People all over the world take pride in having their own stories, from their own places, reflected back to them through the arts.

In making stories from the region, we are also committed to working, where possible, with other theatre makers who live in Hawkes Bay. The producer, director and three actors live in the region and we are excited to provide a platform for  professional theatre makers to practice and develop their craft here.

We have an amazing design team, a lighting designer, costume designer and a composer/ musician coming from Wellington and Auckland who will all be working together with the cast to create a rich experience of contemporary live theatre.

It is exciting news that the Hawkes Bay Arts Festival is definitely going ahead this year and especially exciting for us that they have commissioned  As the Day Draws In and are supporting us all the way. We will premiere our show in October 2020 as part of this year’s Festival in an all New Zealand line up of shows. Eventually we would love to take our little piece further afield, other festivals in 2021, and maybe a small tour.

We are thankful for the Funding we have received so far from Government funding agencies.

However it will not be enough to cover the full cost of launching the production.

That is why we are running this Boosted Campaign.

We need to raise $20,000.

We need your help to do this….to deliver As the Day Draws In to the highest quality possible at the prestigious Hawkes Bay Arts Festival  in October 2020.

As the day Draws In is a piece about coming together, recognizing who we are as a community through stories that reflect our shared humanity.

It is a rare opportunity to celebrate the lives and voices of the kaumatua of this region.

We want to share their stories with you.