Victor Rodger: A Playwright Talks About His Work

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Playwright Victor Rodger, Fulbright-Creative New Zealand 2006 Pacific Writer-in-Residence at the Center for Pacific Islands Studies, will talk about his work, and actors will read from his plays. Rodger's semi-autobiographical, award-winning first play, Sons, explored the culture clash a young afakasi Samoan man experiences when he tries to establish a relationship with his estranged Samoan father and his half-brother, who is unaware of his existence. Issues of race and both cultural and sexual identity figure prominently in all his work, and his third play, Ranterstantrum, takes a darkly funny look at contemporary race relations in Aotearoa/New Zealand. His fourth play, My Name is Gary Cooper, will be performed in Aotearoa/New Zealand next year. It centers around a young afakasi Samoan man who travels to 1970s Los Angeles to wreak revenge on the Palagi father who deserted his Samoan mother. The presentation is followed by a reception.

The Department of English and the Department of Theatre and Dance are cosponsors of this event.

Event Sponsor
Center for Pacific Islands Studies, Manoa

More Information
Tisha Hickson, 956-2652, ctisha@hawaii.edu

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