The winners of the seventh Secondary Schools Drama Festival were honoured Friday at a special ceremony convened by the Ministry of Education Unit of Allied Arts at the Theatre Guild Playhouse.
A release from the Education Ministry said that the champions North Georgetown Secondary, Ascension Secondary and St. Rose’s High delighted the gathering with a captivating show on the pieces that made them winners.
The occasion which was lively was attended by senior education officials, teachers and students from several schools in the city, the release added.
The keenly contested competition was divided into four categories – Category A which looks at violence in school; Category B, plays on any theme; Category C, Dance Drama; and Category D, Storytelling.
North Georgetown Secondary copped the top spot in Category A of the competition with a piece entitled “Bamboo Alley”.
Ascension Secondary “Is who in charge ah we life” secured the top spot in Category B while St. Rose’s High took the winner’s trophy in Category C with “Hard knock life”.
Shannon Beaton of Queen’s College was awarded the top prize in Category D of the competition.
Drama Coordinator of the Unit of Allied Arts, Lorraine Barker-King praised the creativity of the directors of the schools that participated in the production, particularly Beverley Cyrus, Kelton Jennings and Jean Kingston of the winning schools.
She pointed out that the expressive arts undeniably play an important role in the molding of an individual and noted that the Ministry of Education has created the avenue for its inclusion and promotion in schools.
According to Barker-King, when the Caribbean Drama Association in 1988 invited Guyana to participate in the Third Caribbean Secondary School Drama Festival, the once in a lifetime opportunity was immediately seized.
The Secondary School Drama Festival was staged and the best performers were selected to represent Guyana at that forum. The local biennial festival continues to produce the school that represents Guyana at the regional festival, Barker-King said.
In 1998 and 2000, Abram Zuil Secondary School of Region Two represented Guyana with their plays “Sea Village” and “Massacuraman”. Annandale Secondary had the honour in 2002 with “Gold Teeth”; Sophia Special School in 2004 with “I should have known”; North Georgetown Secondary in 2006 with “Anansi’s Way”; and Sophia Special School again in 2008 also with Anansi’s Way”.
