Let us look at the future of drama in the Guyanese context and reflect on its importance.
The National Drama Festival concluded yesterday and I applaud those behind it for the interest shown in drama and giving those so inclined, especially youth, a stage to express themselves. That is the point of a local drama festival, correct? Am I on point – that dramatists can approach the stage; write, direct and produce plays that reflect self-expression?
So many young, ambitious and talented dramatists and theatrical artists came to that national stage but from my observation, over the two finale weeks that national stage failed to promote a proper, conducive platform of expression.
The predominant host of the festivals and the stage for the finals, the National Cultural Centre has now become a crying shame. Before you go jumping down my throat let me paint you a picture of a play that was ruined by the inadequacy of the once great D’Urban Backlands gem.
Two young men who recently graduated from the National Drama School are performing in an excellent play on vital topics as regards us as Caribbean people; Pantomime written by Caribbean playwright Derek Walcott and directed by local award winning dramatist Mark Kazim focuses on prejudice, racism, post and neo-colonialism. It’s a very beautiful play and very expressive through the use of comedy.
But it really isn’t about the play or how even the actors performed. That they received mixed reviews is not the basis of this column. Instead the focus is on the many glitches that should not be affecting young artists in this day and age – power outages, the generator, the heat in the National Cultural Centre just to mention a few. I suppose you can blame the amateurish glitches in lights and sounds on the various producers but when your microphone starts cutting out and judges and directors need to share equipment, something is clearly lacking which will indeed cause a domino effect.
Now I am not basing my entire review of the Cultural Centre during the festivals on this play. It has happened before and there have been other complaints. Casual questioning of dramatists reveals so much.
Incidentally, the National Drama School is also housed at the National Cultural Centre. If these were the conditions under which they were taught then the dropouts do make sense. Did the inaugural graduates of this school present themselves as a group for this year’s drama festival to show Guyana what they have accomplished through a project our government launched? No, they did not. I skimmed though the programme and saw the names of a few of them, but definitely not together as a group under the school’s name. I can’t say I blame them.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I found this year’s drama festival disappointing. The festival is held to promote the art form, right? How is it being promoted if the stage, the equipment, the very venue is failing the performers?
Is it fair to them? They write the plays, direct and produce them, rehearse endlessly and then what? The audience can’t hear because the sound is ineffectual. The audience is distracted by the heat in the building. There’s a power outage in the middle of a production, which can causes the players to lose focus and the audience to lose interest. Do you see what I’m talking about?
Now tell me, is the NCC in its current state a place to learn if you want to be serious about drama? Does no one else see how this affects the dramatic arts and our struggling entertainment industry?
Can we talk drama? Because it seems no one else is.
