With the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams just around the corner, literature students will be exposed to some practical assistance when GEMS Theatre Productions in collaboration with the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama presents one of Shakespeare’s plays, Julius Caesar, for schools come May 3.
According to a press release the stage production is expected to serve as a refresher for those students before their final exams on May 12. “Attending a Shakespearean production is a memorable experience for students,” the release said.
Director, Subraj Singh is handling the arena-style setting for the play with great skill, as the release said he is employing theatre in the round techniques with no blackouts during scene changes. The action moves from one setting to the other, with much efficiency, utilizing the large space available at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The play will be staged at the sports hall on May 3 from 10 am and schools attending are asked to be on time. Admission is $500 for students but adults are welcome to attend but will have to pay $1,000 for ticket.
The play was written in 1599 but not published until after Shakespeare died in 1616 and according to the release Julius Caesar is considered to be his greatest tragedy when compared to King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. The play, it said, is very relevant today and is being studied in the classroom for English B for the final term.
Julius Caesar is one of the two plays for the fifth formers writing the upcoming CSEC examinations in English B. The Ministry of Education, through the Allied Arts Department, has given its approval for this presentation.
Actors in the production are Mark Luke-Edwards, Nickose Layne, Clinton Duncan, Nurriyyih Gerrard, Nirmala Narine, Jamohl Alexander, Paul Budnah, Randolph Critchlow, Rovindra Persaud, Delon Sancho, Frederick Minty, Osafa Dos Santos, Christophe Greaves, Sean Griffith, Andrew Belle, Ackeem Joseph, Nkofi Hodge, Stephen Asif Mohamed, Akbar Singh, Alex Rodrigues, Jheanelle Kerr, Towanie Thom, Diana Cruikshank, Alecia Charles, Safira Abrahim-Williams and students of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama.
Arrangement for tickets can be made by calling 226-0240, 225-3557,617-0244 and 6299895, or checking with the National Cultural Centre Box Office.
