On Wednesday April 9th from 7:30 p.m. the National Cultural Centre on Barnard Hill will transform into a theatre hall when four St. Lucian productions will be staged.
Radio Out and Bad, best known for its social media presentations will for the first time be on stage with a piece called “Mangé Cochon” produced by Kiedel Sonny and Dexter “Drybones”Felix. The performance employs traditional street theatre and according to Sonny, the play “brings to light some of the social ills plaguing our society today”. It is “centred around the theme of deception” and adopts the “melodramatic style of our Saint Lucian culture.”
This year Zenaida Productions, no stranger to the stage, will illustrate in a combination of monologues the weaknesses of man in a piece “Existence preceeds Essence”. According to Director Danielle Du Bois, “The production is done within the realms of theatre of the absurd. It defies the conventional chronological sequence and elements of a normal play. The major theme is that human beings waste too much time trying to understand this confusing world. We try so hard to exist by trying to fit in and forget about our true essence as individuals.”
Youth On Fire Ministry who hail from Anse La Raye will be putting on an experimental piece, “Barbadee”. Director Magnus Deboville, explains that “Barbadee is a unique composition.” The plot is developed “through the sole use of nursery rhymes.” The story of Barbadee begins “when the house of an over protective parent gets invaded by a young man who wants nothing more than to spoil the purity of an angel daughter. His main aim is to prove to himself that he is the most charming man in the village. The play climaxes into an ultimate scheme that deceives the deceiver into his own trap.”
The Travis Weekes Project was started by poet, playwright, cultural critic and educator, Travis Weekes, to assist in the development of Theatre in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean. It affords participants a creative outlet to expound upon issues of national concern and an opportunity to contribute to the development of our Creative Industries. “In Memoriam” being staged on Wednesday, shows five close friends of a murder victim coming together one year after her passing to observe her memory. They discover that through their expressions of differing perspectives regarding their friend’s murder, they attain closure and deepen their resolve for peace. Director Travis Weeks says, “Although inspired by actual incidents, the play is fictional and the characters and actions do not represent factual events.”
The productions will thrill the audience from the moment the lights are dimmed until the curtain call.
- Scene from “Silent Scars” by Hayden Forde (2013)
