A play with a considerable weight of importance and significance was recently staged at the National Cultural Centre. It was also one that was, to a fair degree, unusual.
This was I Am Us, written and directed by Neaz Subhan, produced and highly promoted by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC). Subhan is very well known in Guyanese theatre as an actor, appearing in several productions over many years when he was active as a performer. He is equally well known as a playwright, with a number of dramas already staged, and he has achieved a National Drama Festival award. Subhan is also a foremost director and producer of several plays over decades. He has, in addition, been associated with films.
So, it was quite normal to see a Subhan play staged. There was nothing strange about one of these productions being important or significant, since Subhan made a mark on the Guyanese stage with his efforts to develop East Indian drama. This has been a telling contribution given his attempt to create a form reflecting the Guyanese Indian ethos, in addition to producing plays from India itself, thus widening the local audience’s experience in the Indian tradition.
