A mix of new and old talent was awarded last Sunday evening when the Theatre Guild held its 2012 Awards ceremony, which also saw Vic Insanally and Ian McDonald being honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Apart from the award ceremony, the night was equally important as the guild celebrated 5 years since its doors were reopened.
Chairman of the Executive Management Board of the Theatre Guild, Dr Paloma Mohamed highlighted that the past five years have been a foundation for the next five years, where the guild will be working on setting a professional, formal foundation upon which to pass on the knowledge of theatre to generations to come. She also acknowledged that the guild’s objective towards the future is to market itself professionally and hold more productions and arts for publicity. It was revealed that the guild will be releasing a magazine titled, Dramatist, which according to Mohamed, “will be analytic and in-depth in manner”.
Chief Judge and famed drama critic, Al Creighton, expressed that although the productions of 2012 exceeded and improved from previous years, there is still a lot to be done to put theatre on the map.
During the ceremony there were ballet recitals choreographed by Kijana Lewis, excerpts from the play Warrior of Dignity, a classical rendition by Russell Lancaster and a dance by Kenrick Cheeks.
In attendance were the Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar along with other special invitees and sponsors.
The 2012 awards were:
Best Set, One Act Play: Saving Grace
Best Set, Full Length Play: The Vagina Monologues
Best Costume, One Act Play: Working Girls
Best Costume Full Length Play: The Vagina Monologues
Best Production, One Act Play: Cockadoo
Best Production, Full Length Play: Sizwe Banzi is Dead
Best Lights of a Production, One Act Play: Christina
Bets lights of a production, Full Length Play: Sizwe Banzi is Dead
Best New Comer, One Act Play: Ruqayyah Boyer
Best New Comer, Full Length Play: Esprene Liddell
Best Supporting Actor, One Act Play: Sean Thompson in Between the Covers
Best Supporting Actor, Full Length Play: Mark Luke Edwards in A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Mark Kazim in Virtues.
Best Supporting Actress, One Act Play: Lisa Punch in Between the Covers
Best Supporting Actress, Full Length Play: Sonia Yarde in A Midsummer’s Night Dream.
Best Actor, One Act Play: Mark Luke Edwards in Between the Covers
Best Actor, Full Length Play: Ron Robinson in Sizwe Banzi is Dead
Best Actress, One Act Play: Leslyn Fraser in Cockadoo
Best Actress, Full Length Play: Nirmala Narine in Virtues
Best Director, One Act Play: Tivia Collins, Cockadoo
Best Director, Full Length Play: Ron Robinson, Sizwe Banzi is Dead
Best Play: Christina by Mosa Telford.
Best Guyanese Play: Virtues by Colette Jones-Chin
Best Variety Production: “Love Thou Art”, by the Theatre Guild
Best Dance Production: “Thoughts of Love”, by the National Dance Company
Best Children’s Production: “Emerge”, by Purple Heart Productions.
Judge’s Special Award: Kenrick Cheeks and the Dancing Delights. (Jairo Rodrigues)