In a repeat of last year’s performance, a Ronald Hollingsworth play Watch de Ride 2 – Justice took major honours when the Third Annual National Drama Festival awards were presented recently. Last year, Hollingsworth’s play 83 Million Gees took top honours.
In the Open Category, Full Length Plays, the award for the Best Production went to Watch de Ride 2 – Justice, which was performed by the H&T Theatre Group. First and second runners-up were Anybody See Brenda by the Theatre Guild of Guyana and When Chocolate Melts by the Indian Arrival Committee.
The Best Director award went to Ronald Hollingsworth and Sheron Cadogan-Taylor for Watch de Ride 2 – Justice.
Best Actress went to Melissa King, Best Supporting Actress to Sonia Yarde, Best Supporting Actor to Sean Thompson and Best Actor to Mahadeo Shivraj all cast members in Watch de Ride 2 – Justice . There was a tie in the Best Actor award which saw Mark Luke-Edwards take honours for his role in Anybody See Brenda.
Best set and Best Use of Lights went to Watch de Ride 2 – Justice, making it a total of eight awards won for this play.
Best Costuming and the Best Use of Sound were awarded to Berbice Uprising. The award for the Best New Guyanese Stage play was taken by Neaz Subhan for his play When Chocolate Melts. The Best Performing Cast Award was accredited to the cast of Anybody See Brenda.
In the Open Category, Short Plays: Before Her Parting by the Theatre Guild of Guyana group was the gem. The play carted off six awards, inclusive of the Best Production, Best Use of Lights, Best Use of Sound, Best Director (Tivia Collins), Best Actor (Kijana Lewis) and Best Supporting Actress (Sonia Yarde).
Mommy written by Sonia Yarde won the Best New Guyanese Stage play award along with Best Set and First Runner-up for Best Production.
Best Production was accredited to Farepicker, which also grabbed the Best Costuming Award, Best Performing Cast (The Theatre Guild of Guyana), Best Supporting Actor (Paul Budnah) and Best Actress (Colleen Humphrey) tied with Nicola Moonsammy from the play Mommy.
The Debutantes Category had Mara’s Faith by the Bethel Gospel Hall Youth Group, Third Degree Graduate by The Surmounting Thespians and Bamboo Alley by the Emeralds Drama Group taking the Best Production, Best Production First runner-up and Best Production Second runner-up respectively.
Mara’s Faith won the Best New Guyanese Stage play award in this category along with Best Use of Lights, Best Use of Sound, Best Actor (Joshua Griffith) and Best Director (Roseanna Taitt). Best Costuming went to Bamboo Alley which was also accredited the Best Performing Cast and Best Supporting Actor (Colin Primus). Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress went to Shantel McClean and Stacy Semple in their respective roles in Third Degree Graduate. The award for Best Set was accredited to Unequal Yoke.
In the Junior Category the prize for Best Production went to ‘Creative Burial Ground’ which also took Best Director (Nickose Layne), Best Costuming, Best Set, Best Use of Lights, Best Supporting Actor (Keon Heywood) and Best Actress (Candacy Baveghems).
Deep Wounds which was written by Melinda Primo-Solomon took the Second Runner-up for Best Production along with the Best New Guyanese Stage play in the Junior Category, the Best Performing Cast and the Best Actor (Sean Budnah).
Planned to Perfection was accredited Second runner-up in Best Production, Best Supporting Actress (Leslyn Fraser) and Best Use of Sound.
In the Secondary Schools Category, Best Production was awarded to The Lost Hope which was staged by the West Demerara Secondary School. Massacuraman by the Berbice High School and A Flower Without Petals by the Ascension Secondary School took the first and second runner-up for Best Production award in this category, respectively.
The Lost Hope which was written by Taneka Caldeira was also awarded for Best Director (Taneka Caldeira), Best Use of Sound, Best New Guyanese Stage play, Best Performing Cast and Best Actress (Hebron Edwards).
Massacuraman copped Best Set and the Best Use of Lights. The Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards went to Ezekiel Fraser and Shemroy Reynolds respectively from their parts in the play A Flower Without Petals. The award for Best Supporting Actress was accredited to Jelena DosSantos in I Should Have Known; this play also received the Best Costuming award.
