This year, Prayas’ production was a celebration of its 20 years in Aotearoa. With a limited season of three nights only, Prayas presented a smorgasbord sampling its most loved and cherished scenes from the past and a little look into the future. The event was a huge hit with near-full house on the first two nights and closing night selling out a week in advance. 

Our patrons were delighted, moved to tears and left in splits as the show advanced, eventually ending on a note of hopeful contemplation. A huge ‘Thank you’ to all those who joined this celebration and came to support us and made this event a roaring success. These are some of the things you had to say about the show…

“The ensemble cast knocked it out of the park as usual…. I reflected how this community has always morphed to fill needs, whether it be giving heart and culture back to young professionals… seeking something deeper to be part of or growing arts practitioners to tell their own stories.” – Renee Liang 

“What a show I watched last night! I want to watch ALL these shows again now full-length versions… In a short span of time Prayas has unsurprisingly managed to pull something nostalgic together that hits all the right notes. Band is a magical touch.” – Natasha Iyer

“What an amazing play, great actors (particularly a small grey-haired woman who first presented as a playing card) Honestly loved it as we sank back into the pain, the humour, the caring & the music of your mother land.”  – Four beautiful ladies from the Selwyn Village

“So heartwarming and awesome to see snippets from the past Prayas shows, especially ones I never got to see! Prayas has been such a crucial trailblazer for the South Asian community, and the wider Asian community in general to fight for representation and our stories to be heard and welcomed in Aotearoa. Forever grateful for all the hard mahi you’ve done!”  – Alyssa Medel

“Last night, I went to see Pitārā-A box of Memories, which celebrates 20 years of a bold, incredible homegrown theatre company called Prayas. I’ve been going to their plays for about 10 years now & they never disappoint. Like many migrant endeavours, they started out rehearsing in cold, windswept church halls that were affordable. Today, their shows are usually sold out. The stories they tell are diverse- some are based on well known literary works (like Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance- a personal fav) and some are very personal, about the migrant journey to Aotearoa NZ. All are spectacularly told and acted. The set designs, costumes and music reflect their superb attention to detail. Last night was no different. Pitārā was like the finest degustation menu that showcased their skill & gave the audience a taste of their plays from the past 20 years. If you’d never seen a Prayas play before, you would’ve seen just enough to pique your interest and long for more. If you’d seen every one of their plays, it would’ve brought back the best memories. It was pure genius. And the music was sublime. @prayastheatrenz – thank you for 20 years of fine theatre & beautifully nuanced Kiwi-Indian migrant stories. Congratulations & all the best for the next 20 🥂 “ — Priyanca Radhakrishnan

I just wanted to say Congratulations on 20 years and on Pitārā! What a beautiful collection of memories you put together. You have created a wonderful community, and it showed at the performance.  — Pene Lister, Indian Ink

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