As the Republic of Guyana celebrates 53 years as an independent nation, the anniversary is marked primarily by a variety of popular entertainment dominated by the Carnival. As this newly adopted festival with its 10 nights of revelry continues its course through a succession of ‘J’ouverts’, including the usual fetes and soca mega concerts, there are official ceremonies and national events along the way, and one of these events employed entertainment to make a national statement and craft a contribution to the intellectual content of the anniversary celebrations.
This was the annual production, “An Evening of National Songs, Poetry and Stories” produced and directed by Dr Barbara Reynolds, who is a Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana. The programme is supported by the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport.
The production, introduced and chaired by Keon Haywood, was theatrical, demonstrating the general strength and effectiveness of theatre to include entertainment and revelry in a conscious statement to make an intellectual input into the independence anniversary commemorations. The association with the university is not coincidental in this context. Dr Reynolds was assisted in the production by Ezzie Crandon, Hubert Meusa, Mervin Kissoon and Carol Valz.
