Makantali, a Guyanese play written by renowned playwright Harold Bascom took top honours last Sunday evening when the Theatre Guild of Guyana held the 2012 Theatre Guild Awards.
Makantali won the award for Best Guyanese Play, beating out Timolyn Barclay’s New Beginnings and Kwesi Edmonson’s A Diff’rent Kinda Thing.
Natayha Whaul (Makantali) won the Best Actress – Full Length Play award; she was up against Colleen Humphrey (New Beginnings).
Nirmala Narine (Makantali) was judged Best Supporting Actress ahead of Shellon Madray (Makantali), Timolyn Barclay (New Beginnings) and Colleen Humphrey (Makantali).
Best Actor – Full Length Play went to Gerard Gilkes (Makantali); the other contender being Dason McKenzie (New Beginnings).
Randolph Critchlow (Makantali) was awarded Best Supporting Actor beating out his fellow (Makantali) actors Leon Cummings and Kwesi Edmonson.
Malcolm De Freitas took the Best Director – Full Length Play Award for Makantali.
Makantali also won the awards for Best Costume and Best Set.
In the One Act Play category, Swingers on the Playground, written by Timolyn Barclay and directed by Sonia Yarde was awarded Best Play as well as Best Costume.
Leslyn Lashley (Ms Edwards) took the Best Actress award. She was up against Patricia Marks (Pious), Tashandra Inniss (Shadows) and Sonia Yarde (Swingers on the Playground).
Ms Edwards was written by Janice Imhoff and directed by Kwesi Edmonson.
Best Supporting Actress was Lisa Punch (Shadows). Other nominees were Karim Fyffe (Ms Edwards), Diana Chapman (Dance Philosophy), Nirmala Narine (Swingers on the Playground), Shameza Husain (The Storm) and Shana Fraser (Swingers on the Playground).
The award for Best Actor went to Kijana Lewis (Shadows). He beat out Mark Kazim (Swingers on the Playground) and Mark Luke-Edwards (The Storm).
Lynyus Adams (Shadows) took the award for Best Supporting Actor. He beat out Marlon Velloza (The Storm), Nelon Benjamin (Swingers on the Playground), and Johann David (Swingers on the Playground).
Best Director was Tivia Collins (Shadows). Shadows was written by Mosa Telford.
Meanwhile Lifetime Awards were presented to Jermonica Walcott and Francis Quamina Farrier.
The 2012 Theatre Guild awards were sponsored by Paul Lucas of Nicky’s Fish Shop, Upscale Restaurant, Banks DIH Ltd, Republic Bank, Scotia Bank, Citizens Bank, Insurance Brokers Guyana Ltd, Continental Foods, Noble House Seafoods, Chris Fernandes, Desiree Wyles-Ogle, Dr Paloma Mohamed, Guyana Publications Inc, NALICO/NAFICO and MACORP among others. Simone Dowding chairs the Awards Committee and the winners were selected by a panel of seven judges chaired by art critic and lecturer Al Creighton.
