Thirty-six years and still standing strong; 62 ft towards the sky; 240 ft long and 114 ft wide – the National Culture Centre is the pride of D’Urban Park, Georgetown.
I mean seriously, take a good look at the National Culture Centre, beautified with Guyanese heritage, decorated by Guyanese hands and standing strong with the hopes of our many artists that use its stage.
With the first Carifesta to be hosted in independent Guyana in 1972, the centre’s construction began in mid-1971, but Carifesta crept up with the building still incomplete. However, this did not discourage Guyanese, nor did it halt our creativity. Tents were placed as roofs and coconut palms as walls. In May 1976, the building was finally completed.
Today, there is still architecture and craft being added to its walls and grounds. But nothing can be compared to its stature. There is a definite feeling of awe when one sits inside. The cool, calming air; the brown wood of the wall, the thick dark curtains and the thrill that the massive speakers sitting over the stage can possibly fall – but wouldn’t, I hope they wouldn’t.
Some can (and will) argue that the stage is way behind times, it is not fully electronic, it has no hidden doors or traps and the microphones are sometimes off. Heck! This is Guyana! We are not perfect. The cultural centre isn’t the best theatre in the world but it is a mark of pride and hope for many dramatists and spectators alike.
But with all of its history and glory there is one deplorable state of the theatre, the only thing that can make my stomach churn in shame – the patrons! In other words you Guyana!
Well… not all of you. Certainly some of us behave with come amount of decorum. But I have been in the National Cultural Centre countless times when the only way to describe the behaviour of the audience is appalling. Deplorable is another perfect word to describe how some people act. They observe the National Cultural Centre’s dress code and are so beautifully decked out, they can dazzle Hollywood. But as soon as they open their mouths, the saying, “never judge a book by its cover” comes to mind.
In the first place, no one is even supposed to be talking during a performance. Yet some Guyanese shout out remarks, talk on their phones, boo the actors/performers and seem fit to include themselves in the play.
But what really surprises me is the mediocrity of some people. I sat in the National Cultural Centre watching a play portraying the struggles of a young girl as she is mentally, sexually and physically abused by her uncle and the audience around me is laughing and carrying on as if it is something funny. A plague that is on the rise in our society, they view as a joke. When the girl moves to attempt suicide, some members of the audience actually shouted: “DO IT! Hurry before Uncle Daddy come!” This then resulted in loud blasts of laughter.
I sat in sorrow.
I wonder why the National Cultural Centre plays the National Anthem before every performance. This is not something of national pride.
I thought about if there were any members in the audience who are being abused and how they would feel to see people laughing at their lives. I thought about the future audience of this iconic building. Will they behave the same? Or will they be a little more supportive and shocked at abused? And as the curtains closed on that poignant play, a question begged to be asked: Will the curtains ever close on stupidity? (Jairo Rodrigues)
