Another son of the soil has returned home to offer his time and skills after an extended period abroad.
The University of Guyana in a release yesterday announced the return home to Guyana of internationally acclaimed director and specialist scenic and lighting artist, Henry Muttoo MBE, as the university’s 3rd Artist in Residence. He is concurrently the Theatre Guild’s Artist in Residence.
Muttoo is accompanied by his wife Marcia.
Henry and Marcia both retired from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation in December 2021 as Artistic Director and Managing Director respectively, after serving for an unbroken period of 32 and 30 years. They reside in the Cayman Islands with their three daughters and two grandsons, and consult on heritage, arts and culture disciplines.
Muttoo’s Curriculum Vitae is extensive. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Theatre Practices from the world-acclaimed Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, University of Manchester, in Kent, UK; a Professional Diploma in Theatre Design (Settings & Costumes) from Croydon College of Art & Design, London, UK; a Certificate in Advanced Acting, Directing & Stage Management, University of the West Indies; and a 3-year Apprenticeship Programme from the Theatre Guild of Guyana, where he cut his theatrical teeth over 40 years ago.
He has also been internationally recognized and variously honoured for his work.
His consistently brilliant productions in theatre earned him a Doctor of Arts (D. Arts.) Honouris Causa from the University College of the Cayman Islands; for his contributions to the development, preservation, and celebration of Heritage, Arts & Culture in the Cayman Islands, a royal order – the MBE – from Buckingham Palace; an Order of Cayman (Officer) from the Cayman Islands Govern-ment, and an induction into the Caribbean Theatre Hall of Fame by the Caribbean Development for the Arts and Culture Foundation. Henry was also conferred with an Award of Excellence by Guyana Cultural Association of New York and received a Citation from the Borough of Brooklyn New York for vision and development of culture and arts in New York.
According to the release, as part of his three-month residency at the University of Guyana and the Theatre Guild, Muttoo will give a public lecture on March 1, and two master workshops in scenic design on February 3 and 4, as well as Lighting for Theatre, on January 28 at the Theatre Guild. His Artist in Residence Public Lecture on March 1 will be at 6pm at the Theatre Guild. The public lecture is free to the public and all are invited to attend. Students of literature, visual arts, and performance arts, are especially encouraged to attend. Workshops are limited in space and open to students of the University of Guyana, Teachers of Theatre Arts, and members of the Theatre Guild and other cultural and artistic organisations. Those interested should contact Pace@uog.edu.gy or call (592) 623-3159.
However, Muttoo’s major focus as Artist in Residence is to direct two international acclaimed Guyanese one-act plays, “Tramping Man” and “Duenne”. The plays will premiere in early April 2023 and mark the resumption of the performance and teaching programme of the Theatre Guild following the forced suspension of some activities due to the Covid pandemic, the release added.
