In the world of local theatre Mahadeo Shivraj is perhaps one of the least known of the outstanding pool of local creative talent. For patrons who saw the recent screening of the hit movie “Till I find a place,” at the National Cultural Center, the man who captivated audiences in the lead role has been quietly honing his skills in New York for close to 20 years.
His acting apart, Shivraj also directed and produced “Till I Find A Place “, which became such a hit that he was forced to accede to demands for an additional five-day encore run.
“Till I Find A Place” is only a sample of the creative prowess in a career in the arts that started at the Theatre Guild in Georgetown. Today, his accomplishments include more than 80 plays. Add to that the fact that he has become one of the most sought-after performers in New York’s West Indian community,
His contemporaries during the 1970’s include Richard Naraine, Godfrey Naughton and Jasper Adams with whom he worked in numerous productions including the long-running and popular “ Link Show.” For Shivraj the urge for theatre came as a child of four. “If you believe in reincarnation, I am quite certain I was an actor in a previous life,” he says.
He landed a lead role in his very first play, “Viswas” in 1987. It was staged at the National Cultural Centre. After that, stage offers came thick and fast. He became a ‘regular’ in Guyana’s famed Theatre Company and toured extensively in North America and the Caribbean before migrating to New York 17 years ago.
In the fickle film industry in the United States, talent does not necessarily translate into success. Barriers like social status, ethnicity and a lack of ‘connections’ have turned many aspirations into impossible dreams. So it was, for a while at least with Shivraj. He has had to face those hurdles. Light, however, has begun to appear at the end of the tunnel. His attention, currently, is turned to California where “im,portant people” who “can make things happen” are paying attention to his talent.
‘Till I Find A place’ was filmed entirely in Guyana with an entirely
Guyanese cast, Shivraj did the auditioning, supervised the chosen actors, adjusted the script, originally drafted by Ronald Hollingsworth for a play, and of course directed the filming.He feels that if he can get as overwhelming positive a response, from a film with amateur production, he can score a ‘slam dunk’ with a professional operation.
“We did that film with one camera and one lighting (lamp), and I was very surprised at how well people liked it,” he says. Shivraj’s next production, “My Brother, My Wife and I” is set for filming in Guyana and which will be completed in three weeks is being handled by a larger, better-equipped production company.“I have already spoken to and been promised support by the relevant Government ministers as we would require ambulances and police vehicles among other things on location”, he says.
Already, a ‘big name’ from California, who was impressed with “Till I Find a Place” has agreed to review the film for possible marketing in Hollywood.Exposure at Cannes in France and Tribeca and Sundance in America are also in store for “ My Brother My Wife and I”, such is Shivraj’s confidence in its success.
Over the years, Shiv as he is known to colleagues and friends, has impressed almost every professional familiar with his work at home and abroad. Despite not fitting the profile demanded by American film makers, Shiv landed a minor role in the blockbuster TV series “30 Rock”. Additionally, he just completed another part as a cab driver in “The Smurfs”, a movie adapted from the popular TV series, starring Colombian vixen Sofia Veragara and including voicing by pop singing star Katy Perry.
Along the way the Guyanese actor has won over many Caribbean Theatre personalities with his skilful acting. He recalls being asked to play the role of a Rastafarian in a production by the Jamaica Theatre Company and recently, having seen Shivraj perform in “Till I Find A Place” a Westindian Director offered him a role initially thought to be unsuited to his profile. “Once he saw that performance he changed his mind and gave me the unsuitable role, right off the bat,” Shivraj says. The Guyanese actor also featured in “We are New York” one of the longest running series on New York local channels.
Prior to those roles Shivraj made debut as a Director in “Karma,” a movie about Caribbean lifestyles in “Karma” and subsequently directed another production, “Tulsi Das”.
“Till I Find A Place,” however, remains his most memorable work. “One day I was in GBTI bank and I saw this girl observing me from a distance. Then she came over and said Mr Shivraj I saw your film and since then, it is always on my mind.” Another person related the identical experience. The story, he says, encapsulates a real Guyanese experience It is about a man whom, through kindness to a woman, encounters problems with his wife. “The fact that we used language to which Guyanese can relate and understand, helped,” he explains. I meet people on the streets in Georgetown and many kept asking when the DVD will come out,”
While “Till I Find A Place” was heavily advertised on local (Guyana) television) the prevalence of pirating means that the DVD will not be placed on the local market. Shivrak says he regrets the disappearance of the cinema in Guyana. “If cinemas were functioning, all the people who don’t attend the Cultural Centre, because of dress codes and other reasons, would’ve seen “Till I Find A Place”. Shivraj says.
Praise for the film has been forthcoming from almost every source with a vested interest in the field. Noted arts critic Al Creighton was among the first to be convinced of its quality. After viewing the film Creignton wrote:“ (Till I Find A Place”) will impress as a work of some merit. It will advance the cause of the continuing endeavor to develop a movie industry in Guyana, although worthy efforts along this road have so far been sporadic. The acting is good all round with Shivraj in the lead. As a highly competent actor, he commands moods, situations and changes and coordinates very well with the others”.
Shivraj cannot explain why he got hooked on acting. As a nine year old, he got an eye-opener on his calling. During a family trip to Berbice, the children were asked what they would like to do in adult life. “All my brothers and sisters said they wanted to become doctors and lawyers, but I blurted out I wanted to be “Star Boy, Eighteen years later he would get his chance and in his first year on the local circuit he did an astounding nine plays, this, at a time when seasoned actors averaged five plays a year.
He has never received formal training but reads voraciously on the arts and pays close attention to the accomplished actors at his New York auditions. He believes that given the opportunity he can be a success even in Hollywood. “ I have not seen any part out there that I cannot do,” he says. A few years ago, the Guyanese was asked to enact a role played by Indian film icon Amitabh Bachan in a play derived from the movie Baghban. His performance won him rave reviews including a comment from Creignton reportedly asserting that if the audience had seen Bachan in the movie, it was no different to what they saw on stage with Shivraj.
Shivraj believes that weak copyright legislation and the attendant infringement of copyright has seriously suppressed creative talent in Guyana. He says that pirating has prevented all those associated with the arts in Guyana from getting their just deserts. But should “My Brother, My Wife and I”, become the hit he anticipates, local pirating will be the least of his worries.