Centre Stage Productions, a new drama group, won several awards in the Junior Category of the National Drama Festival last week with its play What If.
Centre Stage Productions was launched earlier this year as a paper initiative by a group of friends who wanted to play a more influential role in the small Guyanese artistic industry.
The group meets at least once a month and invites young artists from the Theatre Guild Workshops and National School of Drama and the Theatre Arts to discuss the changes they would like to see in local theatres.
“We don’t see ourselves as a school; we see ourselves as a youth group promoting the arts and encouraging a voice for young artist,” Creative Director Nickose Layne said. “We want to hear these voices and make them louder and implement the changes we need – not in traditional theatre but how the arts are viewed in Guyana and how we can better it for the Guyanese audience. We take a creative approach to everything we do and we know as long as the youthful energy is there we can always strive to better what has been done not only in Guyana but the wider region.”
Centre Stage already has reason to celebrate with What If, written and directed by Nickose, who also played the lead role, winning multiple awards. (See other story on Page 4C and 5C)
What If, a tragedy of love, friendships, manipulation and a world reversed, also featured Centre Stage Productions senior members: Candacy Baveghems, Kimberley Fernandes and Nelan Benjamin. It was nominated for a whopping 14 awards.
Nickose believes that there is a vast pool of creative people in this county – and not just in one region. “I have travelled to many regions and the talent is mostly hidden, but it is always there,” he said. “It is unfortunate though that only about a handful of thespians can practice their craft on a professional level, as there is hardly any support to do this.”
He noted that the government and private sector can do much more to prove a genuine interest in developing and showcasing local talent.
He added that artists are responsible for their successes themselves and they all need to focus on unity. “We need to make a decision and stand firmly by it, that this is what we are going to do with our lives, and then we need to do it. I have been performing since I was four years old, so I know how much harder it is to do this than say it, but I have not stopped. And I gain inspiration from many seasoned artists who cannot stop so I know this is a doable task.”
Centre Stage is an advocate for cultural and artistic progression and youth thespian voices, but its members also see themselves as expressionists in the various forms: dance, drama, directing and production and literary.
“It is not one art form, it is multiple art forms we promote in the performing arts and we encourage all our members and supporters to be versatile and adaptable, be creative and self-motivated to express in any way you can, push yourself to be an artistic god and most of all strive to perfection. When we put all these talents together we can make a beautiful unique art form with our brand,” Nickose expressed.
He wishes to widen the scope of influence from Guyana to the Caribbean since he believes the similarities and union of the Caribbean Community makes us one people with the same ambitions. “Shakespeare said, ‘All the world’s a stage,’ and taking from that, this stage is too big to remain at one part only. Even if you are born on centre stage, there are more parts to explore, as each part of the stage tells a different story, or tells the same story differently. The aim is to explore the stage, and widen knowledge; the apron, the wings, the fly gallery, the cyclorama,” he said.
The group travels to Suriname this weekend to explore the neighbouring Caricom state’s artistic potential with the ambition of inviting thespians to Guyana. “It is more than a cultural exchange but a partnership to benefit us all. We will widen our reaches, learn from each other and progress together – we believe in that spiritual energy,” he said. “We operate under a mantra ‘Promoting Professional Theatre’.”
