By Rae Wiltshire
Henry Muttoo’s first introduction to a theatre stage occurred by accident. He was watching an actor and said fairly loudly that he could do a much better job than that. Muttoo said his words were pure ego, but then the actor fell ill and Muttoo recalled his teacher saying that since he liked to talk so much he would play the part. Since then, Muttoo has been a disciplined disciple of the arts.
“I dedicate my entire life to theatre and to the arts,” he said. “There were no parties. No going out late in the night, no nothing because I was at the theatre and it was the only thing I did. I had no social life. I was married, so why would I need a social life?”
This philosophy about the arts has made him one of the leading theatre practitioners in the Caribbean. This includes numerous accomplishments, including being a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for contributions to the development, preservation and celebration of Heritage, Arts and Culture in the Cayman Islands. Muttoo currently resides there with his family where he practises his craft. He is currently artist in residence at the University of Guyana.
These accomplishments and accolades would not have been possible without the assistance of generous people in his life, including a headmaster who shared his lunch with him. Muttoo grew up in Albouystown and attended school in Charlestown. Muttoo looks back with fondness at his time there. It was critical in his development as a person and an artist. The then headmaster Mr Wilson taught English Language and Literature. He also was keen on the development of drama and had students dramatise their Literature texts.
He said Wilson encouraged them to start a drama group and the Charlestown Drama Group was birthed. The students had to work in every aspect of theatre, including building and painting sets. The Charlestown Drama Group began entering competitions like the Guyana Drama Festival and received a runner-up position one year despite competing with more experienced thespians.
He said Wilson did not only encourage the students’ artistic development. He had a keen interest to see them succeed after school. He told them that their O-Level exams were their “bread ticket” and if they got five passes he would employ them at the school. Muttoo said he passed and began teaching woodwork and technical drawing at Charlestown. He had excelled at those two subjects. Wilson was one of many who helped Muttoo on his journey, he said, adding that without kindness and generosity, he would not have accomplished so much in his life.
“I am not here because of me. I hardly do anything. Generous people have helped me all through my life,” Muttoo said. “When I was going away, there were people who helped me to pay school fees. People from all over the region who saw me on stage.”
Eugene Williams, a Guyanese, and former head of drama at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts invited Muttoo to be lead designer right after he graduated from Croydon College of Art and Design. He stayed in Jamaica for several years where he designed dozens of sets and costumes. He even won the best costume prize at Jamaica’s 21st independence anniversary. He spoke with admiration about this accolade because the people of Jamaica did not care he was Guyanese. They were just celebratory of the good work that was produced and this endeared him to the Jamaican people. Muttoo also designed for great Caribbean playwrights, like Dennis Scott who wrote An Echo in the Bone and Derek Walcott’s Pantomime.
After Jamaica, he made his way to the Cayman Islands. Muttoo said Dave Martins was pivotal in getting him to the Cayman Islands to continue his craft. The two formed an indelible friendship and partnership. Martins wrote a theatre revue show called Rundown. Martins wrote the first 17 revues and Muttoo wrote the final ten. He also directed all 27 of the show Rundown. Muttoo, with his wife Marcia, helped to develop the Cayman National Cultural Foundation, an organisation that is critical for the development and sustainability of the arts there. The couple headed the foundation for 30 years and resigned last year, but according to Muttoo they have left it in a position to sustain itself. He understood the importance of a society seeing a reflection of themselves and conceived the national playwriting competition where over 50 new Caymanian stage plays were written.
His humility for acknowledging others in his success and downplaying his own diligence is admirable and listening to Muttoo speak I got the sense that he never allowed accolades and words of praise to interfere with his continuous growth as an artist.
“Artists are always searching. They are always after their best work. Their best work will never come. They know it will never come. Artists know that. You never gonna make your best work. When you gonna make your best work, you might as well be dead,” he said.
“What’s the point? What’s the point of going on next? To make your next best work? That’s what people think. But then that’s not the best work you just made, that’s a best work. Most people trying to make their best work. That’s what artists do. And that’s what I am hoping to do. But it’s still not coming. And I am happy that it’s not coming…because it gives me a chance…
“Yuh see there is always tomorrow, that’s the hope in art. There is always tomorrow. You start to write now or you start to put down lines and if you ain’t like it scrunge up the paper, and throw it in the bin and pick up a new sheet, that’s your tomorrow.”
Here is a man who has dozens of accomplishments and awards. He has decades of experience but he is still curious about art and discovery. At his age, he is still a student eager to discover something new in life. He knows he has more to give and will probably always feel this way until death.
Muttoo has returned to Guyana to direct two plays. Duenne, a Guyana Prize Winning Play by Professor Paloma Mohamed and Tramping Man by Ian McDonald. It is Muttoo’s way of giving
back to a country that has helped him along his journey to becoming a renowned artist. He brings to the play his experience and memories.
“Human beings are only a collection of memories. That’s all I am. The memory can only react by computing the work it has. The director interprets the play within his own experience. I can’t see it the way you live. I can only see it the way I live. It is all about our own memory and how we react,” he said.
Muttoo ignores his successes whenever he is working. He does not carry it with him to his work due to its relativity.
“I’m not successful. Success is relative. Who are the arbiters of success? All these things are a matter of opinion. All you do is do your work. A good artist knows that you can’t finish a piece of work,” he said.
“There is no piece of work that you are finished with. You let it go. It doesn’t matter how nice people are to you. If you don’t know in your heart that your work ain’t ready and it ain’t finished then you are in trouble.”
