Youth theatre workshop ongoing

Gem Madhoo-Nascimento (fifth from left), standing with participants at last year’s workshop.The GEMS Theatre Produc-tions Youth Theatre Work-shop continues this Wednes-day at the Theatre Guild Playhouse.
According to a press release, the group meets every Wednesday, at the Playhouse from 3.45 pm to 5 pm. Children with an interest in drama, including writing, acting, back stage, front of house and ushering, between the ages of 12 and 18 years old are invited to attend the workshop which is free.
The first workshop was conducted from May to September last year with CIDA funding and it resumed on March 19. Some 50 children had attended and at the end four skits and one story-telling piece were written by the children covering themes of AIDS, cleanliness and waste disposal, domestic abuse and trafficking in persons. Resource persons included Russell Lancaster, Ruel Johnson, Ron Robinson, Francis Farrier, Henry Rodney, Daphne Rogers and Jennifer Thomas. Training was done in creative writing, acting, directing, mime, voice and speech, story-telling, costume, stage and properties management, the release said.
In December, a smaller section of the workshop, under the direction of Gem Madhoo-Nascimento, presented Christmas songs and a skit The Power of Hope written by Nurriyah Gerrard at the David Rose School for Special Children, the Joshua Home and the St. John’s Boys Orphanage. They were accompanied on the guitar by Paul Budnah. Other members of the team were Keri and Teri Phang, Dexter Charles, Sean Budnah, James and Tahirih Gerrard.
Places are still available for the current workshop.