Makantali, dances wrap up Guyana’s Carifesta XI show

Guyanese Amerindians preparing for a cultural performance at Independence Square on August 23.

By Jairo Rodrigues in Paramaribo, Suriname

 

Guyana wrapped up its participation at Carifesta XI with an adaptation of Harold Bascom’s award- winning play Makantali, but the production suffered from poor audience turnout as the event clashed with the well-publicised concert by Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American artiste Wyclef Jean.

Just about 15 persons turned up to view Makantali at the On Stage Theatre School in Paramaribo, Suriname which has a minimum seating capacity of 96. The forty minutes adaptation in the form of storytelling, music, dance and poetic drama was directed by dramatist Godfrey Naughton who also played the role of a storyteller alongside Latoya Kellman. The cast consisted of students