The Whale Rider

     For my staging of “The Whale Rider,” I would focus on a few characters and their connections to the whales.  I think the whales were a large aspect of the novel and tell the whole story. It shows the magical realism. I would include the characters Uncle Rawiri, Papa Apirana, Kahu,  Nanny Flowers, and the Bull Whales as the main characters. Each of these characters link to important aspects of the novel I would like to highlight. For example, Papa Apriana links to the Bull Whale, Nanny Flowers links to the old mother whale, Kahu represents the whale rider, and Uncle Rawiri is the narrator. For my adaptation I would really like to represent the dualities that exist between the whales and the people.

 

For the costuming of the characters I would make them each individualized, yet also representing their culture. For Kahu, I would have her in a flowered dress with flats on. However, I want to show her differences and her link to the Bull Whale. To do this I would have a gold tatto on her arm, the tattoo would be the same one that is on the Bull Whale in the book. This would represent her coming to be the “savior.” I would have Papa Apriana wear plaid pants and a large shirt that is too big for him. I want him to look old and worn down, this would represent his relationship with the old whale. I would also have Nanny Flowers wear a flower dress, and she too would be older. However, she would have more energy than Papa Aprina, and a sweet voice. I would have Uncle Rawiri wear shorts with a plain t-shirt. He would look young and “hip.” I would want him to look like a cool uncle, which is why Kahu always wants to be with him. The Bull Whale will have the same tattoo as Kahu to represent their link.  

For the staging, I would have a small house in the corner of the stage, but all you would see is the door, which is white and worn down. This door would be the door to Papa Aprina’s house, and where Kahu would mostly exit and enter. In front of the door would be a old worn down porch with a swing. The swing will be where Nanny Flowers and Kahu sit with each other and talk. In the back of the stage I would use the digital projector to project the ocean, and use the sound effects to make the sounds of an ocean. In the other corner of the stage, I would have a classroom set up, more looking like a church.This would represent the meeting place for the men. This is where the audience will learn about their culture and Papa Aprina’s beliefs. During the whale scenes I would use the projector to project the whales coming to shore, and the people would crowd in front of that. At the end of each scene I would use a sound effect saying “Let it be done.” This will give a hint into Kahu’s destiny.  

                              

All of this would help portray the magical realism that exists in the book. It will portray the links between the people, and the two problems that exist at once. I think this staging will help bring together the scenes in the book, and the people.




Citations:
http://whaleriderreligiousstudies.weebly.com/characters.html
https://www.pinterest.com/erwriter21/whale-obsession/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298228/