Tributes are flooding in for playwright and journalist Aroha Awarau who died yesterday aged 49 after a brief battle with cancer.
A social media post announcing his death said he died peacefully "surrounded by care and love".
“True to the way he lived, Aroha met this final moment with grace, courage, and his unmistakable spirit,” read the post. “Cancer shortened the timeline, but it never diminished the person he is. The sharp mind. The sharper tongue. The flamboyance. The creativity. The generosity of friendship. He lived fully. He loved deeply.”
The post said that Awarau loved the drama of Broadway and called the last chapter of his life the "Final Production".
Friends and family have been paying tribute to the award-winning playwright and journalist since the news was announced.
The page for short film Puti posted they were saddened by the loss of their “beloved” writer and director.
“His bright light has been dimmed but his legacy lives on in the memories of those who loved him and the work that he leaves behind - including PUTI - his labour of love for ten years!”
An award-winning playwright and journalist
Awarau started his career in journalism working for TVNZ, Whakaata Māori, NZ Herald, NZ Woman’s Weekly and Woman’s Day. He won the New Zealand Magazine Journalist of the Year at the annual Magazine Publishers Association Awards in 2008 and 2011.
He went on to write his first play, Luncheon, set in 1958, about five Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress meeting at an informal luncheon and the shenanigans that ensued. The play was staged in 2014, directed by Katie Wolfe and starring Jennifer Ward-Lealand. It won the award for Best Play at the Script Writers Awards New Zealand (SWANZ) the same year.
His second play, Officer 27, was inspired by a real-life police shooting event where an innocent bystander was killed. The play was a finalist at the Adam NZ Play Award and SWANZ.
His most recent piece of work was the short film titled Puti.
SHARE ME