Last Thursday Republic Bank (Guyana)Limited donated $2 million towards the restoration of the Theatre Guild Playhouse in Kingston.
Mr C Gooding, the Chief Executive Officer, gave a cheque for $2 million to David de Caires, Chairman of the Trustees of the Theatre Guild at the Playhouse which is in the process of reconstruction.
In a release the bank stated that the Playhouse which was established more than 45 years ago had been a strong foundation for nurturing local theatre. Recent years had seen the decline of the institution and the building. It said the bank had joined the drive to restore the Playhouse and was fulfilling a commitment given at the launch of its `Power to make a difference’ programme a few weeks ago.
De Caires thanked the bank for their generous donation. He noted the bank was one of the first institutions he had approached and they had indicated at that time that their third quarter budget had already been exhausted, but promised to look at the matter in the fourth quarter. They had done so, he said, and had come up with this substantial donation.
During the ceremony Mr Jim Wilson, an expert on theatrical equipment from Florida was present. De Caires noted that Mr Wilson would after a full inspection send a report recommending the acquisition of sound and lighting equipment which would be purchased and installed. Depending on how quickly this could be achieved, the Playhouse could be ready by Easter. It was also planned to air-condition and sound-proof the building.
The Chairman later confirmed that the Theatre Guild of Guyana Limited had been approved by the authorities as an institution of national character and that accordingly all contributions were deductible for tax purposes.
