Do Playwrights “Plunder” Other Cultures When They Write About Them?

Playwright Lennie James went to New Zealand to write a play about teenagers there. But he encountered resistance. And it was brutal. “I mean, what is your deal, Lennie James? Are you going to travel the world stealing people’s culture?” When I was thrown out of the club to avoid any more “trouble”, Wiri followed me out, screaming my name at the sky and wishing me well in my quest to rob the “lesser” cultures of the world of their stories. “You go Lennie James! You go, bro!”