TRINITY COLLEGE EAST

THEATRE ARTS

THE PASSIONATE
AND
PHENOMENAL
LOUIS
MC WILLIAMS

STUDENT/RESEARCHER: KEION WINN – ROACH

CLASS: FORM 4E

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ITEM PAGE NO.

Rationale 2

Presentation of Findings 3

Conclusions 12

Excerpts/photos of the life 13

and times of Mr. Louis
Mc Williams

Reflections 26

Bibliography 28

Appendix 29

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THE PASSIONATE AND PHENOMENAL MR. LOUIS MCWILLIAMS

Figure 1. This a picture of Mr. Louis Mc Williams being interviewed

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 Figure 2. This is a picture of the Interviewer/Researcher

(a) Rationale
I chose Louis McWilliams as he is a cultural practitioner and icon whose versatility is in

Theatre Arts. I admire him as he is an all-rounder when it comes to Theatre Arts. He is a dancer,

actor, playwright, artistic director, tutor/ lecturer, student and Life Long Learner. He has travelled

to many areas in Trinidad and Tobago, throughout the Caribbean and the wider world.

His expertise in all these areas inspired me to do a research on him. His passion for Theatre

Arts attracted me to do an interview with him. He is determined to do his best in all his endeavours

just as I try my best when practicing and playing basketball.

In the same way being in Theatre Arts means you are a team player so too it is in basketball.

So too, Mr. Louis Mc Williams practices team work with his cast and I do in basketball with the

other players, if the ‘team’ is to win and be a success. I see his passion linked with my passion for

basketball and they both can be can be juxtaposed. Sacrifices have to be made in both areas if we

want success and I see Mr. Louis Mc Williams as a phenomenal gentleman who is a success as I

too aim for success.

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 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

Synopsis of the Interview

Mr. Louis McWilliams was contacted and was told about my interest in interviewing him. An

appointment was agreed upon. We met at the Centre for Creative and Festival Arts at UWI St.

Augustine. I had to wait a few minutes but this didn’t reduce my anticipation or increase my

frustration in meeting Mr. Louis McWilliams. He warmly welcomed me and then escorted me to

his office. I was invited to sit. I introduced myself, took out my interview questions (See Appendix)

and put on the recorder. His air conditioned office was a welcome temperature compared to the

heat outside. The interview began.

Though a bit nervous, I plunged on. My face looked up at him as I asked him my first

question, “What is your full name”? He was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on the 13th of June

and stated that he never discloses the year, as he does not see that as being important to the

interview. His qualifications he said were “a ton of experience’’. In 1994, he obtained a Master’s

Degree in Music and Dance from the York University of Toronto, Canada.

Mr. Mc Williams could not say exactly when he started Theatre Arts but he did say that it

was a process. His start as far as he remembered was during his early childhood days growing up

with his parents (who were both in the Arts), his father was involved in pan and his mother liked

ball room dancing and music. As a first child, his mother took him to calypso tents, even before

he was a teenager. His appreciation for calypso came about around that time. He even started to

write calypso. As time went on and as the Best Village Competition started, he was always

impressed by the folk songs and African dances that he saw. These all fascinated him.

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 He passed his exams for St. Mary’s College and while there a Folk Dance Troupe started.

He wanted to join. He didn’t have much knowledge about dance but he felt a pull for it. He also

acted in a Best Village Group from Bournes Road. He then joined another Dance Group and started

drumming. He eventually did dance and drumming, two aspects of Theatre Arts that he loves.

Figure 3. Mr. Louis Mc Williams beating the drums.

In 1981, he went and joined the group in Arima called the Mausica Folk Theatre. This is

where he met his mentor Lester ‘Efebo’ Wilkinson. This was also when his passion for Theatre

came about.

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 Figure 4. Mr. Lester 'Efebo' Wilkinson

By 1986, UWI started a Certificate in Theatre Arts and he of course took the course. He

informed me that he moved from being a student in UWI, St. Augustine to his present post of

Coordinator of the Theatre Arts Programme at the UWI Department of Creative and Festival Arts.

I then asked him “What do you like about Theatre Arts?” Theatre Arts, he explained, gives

him the opportunity to be creative and it has enabled him to understand human beings and life. It

stated that it was after he did his Masters in Theatre and Dance in 1994, that he pledged not to do

anything else but Theatre. His close friends actually say that, “Theatre is his wife” to which he

agreed.

He has directed over 50 productions and has done mostly Musicals because it’s his strength

and it followed him. He did 9 Broad Way musicals using local actors like ‘Crazy for You’, ‘Hair

Spray’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

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 Figure 5. A Poster of the play 'Hair Spray'

His passion is now Directing and Teaching. The actors he deals with have followed this

passion as well as there is a lot of exchanging of ideas. The plays that he is mostly involved in

consist of music, dance and drama. As a Director, he has had many roles. He has to do the

auditions, train the actors, coach them and so on. He is responsible for what happens on the stage.

He stated that these are responsibilities of being a director that he has had to face, as he is in charge

of the production team, the play etc. He also informed me that he is also the Artistic Director of

Malick Folk Performers and has been with them since their inception.

He reflected that directing a play takes a lot of collaboration and exploration and discovery.

He emphasized that he isn’t a Dictatorial Director that demands what he wants, but he does what

is right for the play. His passion is what motivates him. He loves to direct, produce and motivate

his cast, and after an inspiring session he goes home to read newspapers or watch television. He

has even considered writing a book.

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 As I continued to ask questions, and as he kept talking about his life, I had a better

understanding of his great appreciation for the Arts compared to my appreciation for basketball. I

smiled as I reflected on his words. I had few interruptions to make because of his ease and detailed

sequence of events of his career path. He said he was very shy but once he steps into the theatre

zone, the shyness evaporates. His passion for Theatre and Excellence in the Arts can be seen by

the many awards and trophies he would have received, some of which he showed me.

He is so popular and in such a great demand that his services have to be requested one year

in advance. He cannot be called, “Now for now.” When he starts directing, most importantly, it

involves reading the play, rereading the play and rereading the play, then auditioning and planning

rehearsal schedules. There is a process he explained in which you take what is written on paper

and then put it on to the stage to be viewed.

Time preparation is key to a successful play. He used the analogy of preparing for a

Christmas dinner to illustrate the process used to direct plays and the importance of timing. i.e.

from knowing your ingredients, to making sure everything is prepared and ready for eating by

dinner time.

Mr. Mc Williams also said that directing of plays depends on how he feels about it.

Sometimes though, the script does not tickle him, but when he puts it on to the stage, there may be

a change. The cast also helps him to really feel for a play that might not be working for him. He

likes local plays and says he’s an ‘Organic Director.’ He learns something at every rehearsal and

doesn’t feel he’s the ultimate best at what he does.

He has been the Coordinator at UWI since 2008. He has been the Artistic Director with

Malick Folk performers for 13 years to the present time and his experience with them has been

fantastic and fanatical. He has also won many local awards both Departmental and National like

the Cacique awards. He has received awards for choreography.

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 Figure 6.This is a picture of Malick Folk Performing Company

Figure 7.This is a picture of the ticket of one of Malick Folk Performing Company’s Shows

His mentors are Lester ‘Efebo’ Wilkinson (See Figure 4) and Mr. Rawle Gibbons who

have made tremendous inputs into his love, appreciation and passion for Theatre Arts. They are

his friends, colleagues, and fellow lecturers. He still asks them for advice when necessary.

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 Figure 8.This is a picture of Mr. Rawle Gibbons

In respect to dance Carlton Francis is his mentor and he is the one who made him appreciate
and love dance so much. He is now deceased.

Figure 9. This is a picture of some of Louis Mc Williams Trophies and Awards

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 Mr. M Williams said that there will always be people who support and are interested in the

Arts, and the people who don’t support Theatre, they should be left wanting to come. He believes

that by consistency, efficiency and having high standards of work in the plays he directs can change

peoples’ minds.

He made one request and that is “You send me a draft of what you write. Yea, when you

submit your paper ….remember meh nah. Don’t just do the interview and forget me.” I agreed. I

then proudly took a picture with him. I left the interview feeling elated and rejuvenated just as I

feel after a successful basketball match.

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Figure 10.This is a picture of the interviewer after interviewing Mr. Louis Mc Williams

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 CONCLUSIONS
The fact that Mr. Louis Mc Williams has been in Theatre Arts from a young boy to the

present time means that he has a wealth of knowledge to give to others. He has travelled throughout

Trinidad and Tobago, throughout the Caribbean and even outside the Caribbean. This means that

he gets a chance to share this knowledge with others. He shares his knowledge with students,

researchers like myself, academics, dancers, writers, artists and other Theatre Arts Practitioners.

Mr. Louis Mc Williams is the Coordinator of the Theatre Arts Programme at UWI, St.

Augustine and this post gives him an even greater opportunity to meet more persons from his home

land, from the Caribbean and outside the Caribbean. He is able to spread his knowledge and

advance Theatre Arts to all persons no matter their race, religion, creed, culture, colour, etc.

Mr. Mc Williams directs, teaches, and as he says “collaborates, explores and discovers”

the wonders of Theatre Arts. The fact that he has received so many awards shows that he is well

respected, appreciated and has had, and still has a great impact on persons in Theatre Arts both

here in Trinidad and Tobago and beyond. Mr. Louis Mc Williams has contributed and still

continues to contribute in all areas of Theatre Arts so that persons from all over can improve their

Theatre Arts skills. He is indeed a phenomenal gentleman.

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EXCERPTS/PHOTOS OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MR. LOUIS MC WILLIAMS

PLAYS

Figure 11. This is an Advertisement for ‘Ten to One’ Musical Play

Figure 12: This is the cast of ‘Ten to One’. Lead actor in ‘Ten To One’, David Bereaux, in white
shirt, is surrounded by the enthusiastic cast at the launch for the musical about the early life of
Mighty Sparrow. PHOTO: KRISTIAN DE SILVA. Two decades ago, Canboulay Productions staged
the musical Ten to One. Louis Mc Williams 2 nd left, back row. Published: Trinidad Guardian
Monday, January 12, 2015

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 Figure 13: The picture of a ticket for the play ‘De Roaring 70’s’

Figure 14: The cast of ‘De Roaring 70's’ during rehearsals. From left, Marva Newton (musical
director); Iyaba Mandingo (Tingerlay); Shirma Cadogan (Josephine); Andrew Clarke (Granger);
Lady Venus (chorus); Veleda Spellman (chorus), Tiffany Renee (chorus); Louis McWilliams
(director, blue jersey); Christine Nedd (chorus); Ronald Millwood (Gerard); Aliyah Muhammad
(assistant stage manager); Cindy Brown (Beverley) and Andrew Howard Jones (Bagos). Missing
is Dianne Dixon (Ma Jacob). Roaring Lion Published: Sunday Guardian, Sunday, June 21, 2015

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 Rituals Of Resistance: The Canboulay Riots Re-Enactment

Each year, with drums and fire, Trinidad re-enacts a struggle for Emancipation.

Figure 21: These are pictures of the casts of the Re-enactment of the Canboulay Riot

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Figure 15: This is an Advertisement for Festival of Plays that Mr. Louis mc William took part in.

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 GRADUATION TIME

Figure 16: A picture of Mr. Louis Mc Williams and fellow graduates

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 THEATRICAL FORUMS

Figure 17: Kids in Need of Direction (April 17th 2014)

Figure 18: This is a picture of the Department for Creative Festival Arts Practice Session. Louis Mc
Williams is on the far right.

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 Mr. Louis Mc Williams Latest Award

Figure 19: This is a picture of Mr. Louis Mc Williams holding his award from the Cayman and

National Cultural Foundation

Figure 20: This is a close up picture of the award given to Mr. Louis Mc Williams from the Cayman and
National Cultural Foundation

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 Figure 22: A picture of the Talk Tent 2013 Cast

Figure 23: This is a picture of Mr. Louis mc Williams doing a video interview

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Figure 24: This is a picture of the cast acting in the play ‘Bitter Cassava’ that was directing by Louis
McWilliams for the Department of Creative and Festival Arts yearly production.

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 ADVERTISEMENTS

News Releases Notices & Announcements Campus Events Reports & Speeches Periodicals & Publications

EVENT

Bitter Cassava

EVENT DATE(S): 28/03/2008 - 06/04/2008

LOCATION: LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE

BITTER CASSAVA

Winner of

The Best Village (Trinidad and Tobago) Prize for Playwriting-1979

The National Drama Festival (Trinidad and Tobago) Prize for Playwriting-1984

Centre for Creative and Festival Arts, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, will bring to life the award winning play “Bitter
Cassava” to the stage for two weekends. The theatrical production will be hosted from March 28th to 30th and April 4th to 6th 2008, at
the Learning Resource Centre (LRC), The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

Written in 1979 by Lester Efebo Wilkinson, Bitter Cassava is a well-crafted full length play with music and dance. It was first produced in
November 1979 for the Folk Theatre Festival component of the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition. History was made in
1984, as Bitter Cassava was the opening play for the Drama Festival. It was the first time that a Best Village play was presented as part of
the Festival fare. The play won several awards that year including awards for playwriting, acting and choreography and went on to appear,
in August of 1984, at the International Amateur Theatre Festival held in Los Angles, USA, in honor of the Olympics.

Louis McWilliams, Director of the production and Lecturer at The University of the West Indies, boasts that he has admired Efebo
Wilkinson’s work since 1980. He states that the play Bitter Cassava has potent messages in the plot, one of them being a very popular
adage “what you sow is what you reap”. According to McWilliams “the play highlights many aspects of life, such as the notions of revenge,
love, superstition, placing particular emphasis on family life and how often children suffer from adult indiscretion.”

The public is invited to this event.

OPEN TO: | GENERAL PUBLIC |

CONTACT

Marissa Brooks

FACULTY/DEPARTMENT

Centre for Creative and Festival Arts, Faculty of Humanities & Education

TEL.: 663-2222/662-2002 Ext. 3791/3792/2510

EMAIL: Marissa.Brooks@sta.uwi.edu

Figure 25: This is the picture of the advertisement for the play ‘Bitter Cassava’

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Figure 26: This is a picture of the cast of ‘Salt’

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 DCFA's 'Salt' – t.

0heatrical adaptation of Earl Lovelace's award-winning novel

EVENT DATE(S): 09/04/2015 - 12/04/2015

LOCATION: DEPARTMENT OF CREATIVE AND FESTIVAL ARTS, DCFA, AGOSTINI ST., ST. AUGUSTINE

The Department of Creative & Festival Arts (DCFA) presents the premiere of Earl Lovelace's award winning novel "Salt". Scripted for the
first time for theatre and directed by Louis Mc Williams, this piece will be performed by students in the BA in Theatre Arts programme.

Together, they tell one tale of a people's journey toward personal and social wholeness. Their travails along the way, sacrifices, break-
ups and binding together become the text of this story, its territory.

Show times are 8pm daily, and 6pm on Sundays. General admission tickets are currently available for $100. Tertiary students with
student ID pay $75, and secondary students pay $50.

Tickets may be purchased at the DCFA, Agostini Street, St. Augustine.

Every year at Independence, Uncle Bango assembles children from the tiny village of Cunaripo, outfits them and undertakes a march
representative of an imagined nationhood. At the end of the novel 'Salt', a number of non-fictional characters join Bango's march in the
hope of a new society based on amending historical injustice.

This inclusion of multiple, individual stories into Bango's march provides precedence for the form of our production: an interweaving of
Lovelace's multiple narratives that fall in step, in our view, with the message and rhythm of the march.These we draw from 'The Dragon
Can't Dance' (1979) and 'The Wine of Astonishment' (1982). Together, they tell one tale of a people's journey toward personal and social
wholeness. Their travails along the way, sacrifices, break-ups and binding together become the text of this story, its territory.

ADMISSION: GENERAL: $100; TERTIARY STUDENTS WITH VALID ID: $75; SECONDARY STUDENTS: $50

OPEN TO: | GENERAL PUBLIC | STAFF | STUDENT | ALUMNI |

CONTACT

DCFA

FACULTY/DEPARTMENT

Centre for Creative and Festival Arts

TEL.: 662-2002 ext. 83792, 663-2222

EMAIL: dcfa@sta.uwi.edu

WEBSITE: visit website

Figure 27: This is a picture of the Advertisement for the play ‘Salt’

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Figure 28: This is a picture of the poster for the play ‘Nation Dance, The Pilgrimage’

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 REFLECTIONS
My research on Mr. Louis Mc Williams was very exciting as I explored his life and

searched for many of the things he did and is doing in Theatre Arts. As a student of Theatre Arts

in Secondary School, this research made me realise even more the importance of my role as I

learn more and more about Theatre Arts. I became more aware of how passion for anything can

make one go through many lengths to achieve ones goal.

The same way that Mr. Mc Williams faced his challenges. I too face it when playing

basketball. I learnt what it is to take things seriously yet have fun. I learnt that continuous

practise is needed if I want to be successful not only in Theatre Arts and Basketball but in

anything I do. Nothing comes easy.

I know even more now how doing basketball skills just like Theatre Arts and practising

them over and over are needed for me to be a better player and one day to become a success just

like Mr. Mc Williams. Mr. Mc Williams though well- known was very humble as he spoke to me

about himself showing me that even though you may be famous, humility is important in all we

do. You saw the passion in him as he reminisced.

He is confident in the way he speaks. This is also needed when doing Drama and playing

basketball. I am sure he could have spoken to me for the whole afternoon about his life if it was

possible. He has a tremendous amount of experience in Theatre Arts. These experiences, I think

should be written in a book so that everyone whether in the Arts or not in the Arts can see the

sacrifices we all have to make in order to succeed. He has done some writing as he wrote his

thesis in 1996 on, Kalinda /Stick fight-Ritual, Form and Content: Its Implications for Caribbean Theatre,

for his Masters in Theatre Arts Degree.

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 This whole experience has taught me how important not only Theatre Arts but anything I

do, I should do it to the best of my ability. I must be a Team Player and do not let my successes go

to my head as each member of the team has a role to play. I have learnt how I must be more

focussed and concentrate on what I am doing as every skill I teach actually helps me to be better

at what I do.

Theatre Arts really brings out life experiences as I practise. It develops my confidence

when speaking, it makes me cooperate with my friends and as we dramatize everyday issues, I

learn how I would deal with them if they were to ever occur in my life. This interview made me

realise what the adults in my life always tell me that “Life is serious, stay focussed but enjoy it and

always remember to think about others.”

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsW/wilkinson-lester-efebo.html

http://www.guardian.co.tt/entertainment/2011/10/12/preserving-folk-culture

http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2015-06-21/taking-de-roaring-70s-new-york

http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/field/image/Sparrow%20musical.jpg

https://breaktheproscenium.wordpress.com/category/of-performers-and-performances/page/4/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_West_Indies

https://sta.uwi.edu/news/ecalendar/event.asp?id=1583

https://www.facebook.com/images/chat/tab/close.png

https://www.kamacuka.org/en/artiste/rawle-gibbons

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 APPENDIX

TRANSCRIPT

The following transcript is an interview with the Mr. Louis Mc Williams, Coordinator of the

Theatre Arts Programme at the Department of Creative and Festival Arts which took place at the

Centre of Creative and Festival Arts.

: What is your full name?

: My name is Louis McWilliams.

: Where were you born?

: I was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

: What is your birth date?

: (smiles) 13th of June, I don’t normally say my age in an interview.

: What are your qualifications?

: Hmm… one, a ton load of experience and I also have a Master’s Degree in Theatre and

Dance.

: When did you become interested in Theatre Arts?

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 : Hmm, I don’t know, I can’t say when but it has been a process. I think my early years

growing up at home with my parents, I think that would have been the start although, I mightn’t

have been aware but that was the start. My father was involved in pan so I grew up in it. I was a

young boy in the pan yard. My mother liked ball room dancing and music, so calypso was

always playing at my house. And somehow I started to get an appreciation for calypso.

I remember before I was a teenage boy, being a first child my mother took to know me to where

the calypso tents were and so I got exposed to calypso. I started to like it and that kind of stuff.

And then somewhere along the line, Best Village started. I was just always impressed with

African dances and how they performed and especially when singing calypso melodies, and

when I heard that, I started to love calypso. And that kind of started things for me.

I went to St. Mary’s College, they started a dance group in the school and they were doing Folk

and I said you know what I want to do that. I had no knowledge of what it is but it is something I

wanted to investigate and I felt, just kind of felt, the pull for it. I jumped into that.

And then I did O’ levels and while doing A’ levels, I was living in St. James Bournes Road, they

opened a Best Village group in Bournes Road, we combined with Cocorite, Long Circular

,Bellevue and I went in as an actor, you know is out of experience really but something was just

driving me towards the thing, you know.

And then once I finished Best Village that year I ended up joining a Dance Company. While in

that Dance Company, I started to drum. So drum and dance became the same good thing and

then I started to really progress in dance so I focussed on dance as a career. I worked a lot in Best

Village, won awards for choreography and stuff and then somewhere in the 80s, I think is 1981, I

went to a group in Arima called the Mausica Folk Theatre and I met a man called Lester ‘Efebo’

Wilkinson who is now Dr. Wilkinson. Yeah, once working with him, the passion for Theatre

started to happen.

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It so happened in 1986, this University decided they were going to start a Certificate in Theatre

Arts and then the passion just lead. I started worshipping Dance and Theatre. So, I have gone

through that process from student to now being the Coordinator of Theatre Arts. You know it’s

been a hard working journey with sacrifices but one that one had to make, you know.

: What do you like about Theatre?

: Everything, there are people who are close to me who say that I’m married to Theatre,

they tell me Theatre is my wife and I agree with them.. Theatre is my passion, Theatre is what

I’ve done for a great part of my adult life and Theatre has been pushing me. I’ve been faithful to

Theatre and Theatre has been faithful to me. Theatre provides me with an opportunity to

understand a human being and an opportunity to understand life, because every situation you get

into life is kind of comes through inside of Theatre. It has been a passion for these years and

when I did my Masters in 1994 (I was a Librarian before that), I decided from there on and then

that I don’t want to do anything but Theatre.

: Did you take part in all parts of Theatre Arts e.g. director, acting, dancing etc?

: I’ve directed over 50 productions. I’ve directed quite a number of Broad Way Musicals,

I’ve directed at Best Village level, professional level and my last experience was at the end of

June being Director and Producer in Newkirk.

: You seem to like Musicals?

: I like musicals, I like other plays but musicals tend to follow me and if I have a strength in

Theatre it would be along the lines of Musicals. I think that comes from my love of calypso one,

and my Theatre love. I don’t know if anybody else knows I’ve directed 9 Broad Way Musicals

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with local actors with the scripts and directions of the musical. I have done ‘Crazy for You’,

Fiddler on the Roof’’, ‘Oliver’, ‘Sound of Music’, ‘Hairspray’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’. I’ve

done quite a lot of plays. I have done the ‘Canboulay Riots’ as well. I’m the Artistic Director of

the Malick Folk Performers, you know, I’ve directed all of their productions since 2003

somewhere there. So yes, and besides directing I’ve acted in a number of productions also.

: Ok, What is your favourite part about Theatre?

: Directing and then teaching, teaching now is becoming more and more a passion. It’s

becoming on par with directing. I am very much comfortable in the class room as I am on the

stage.

: What type of plays do you like to direct?

: I’ll just come out a little bit again, I like to direct whatever I have to direct, a lot of what

have been following me so far are plays that involve music, dance, and drama. I love the

Integrated Approach.

: Oh ok, what do you actually do as the Director of a play?

: Well as a Director of a play you have that responsibility of moving the work from the page

to the stage. You’re responsible for the artistic expression, the artistic interpretation of the work

and as a Director you have the ultimate responsibility for whatever happens on the stage. You

train the actors, you carry the actors, you coach the actors, yuh know. You come up with the

concept for the play, you are in charge of the production team. You take responsibility, and you

focus on what is on the stage and how the public appreciates that.

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 : How do communicate with the actors to get them to do what you want them to do?

: Well, a lot of times it’s not so much getting them to do what I want them to do, a lot of

times it’s about getting them to do what’s right for the play. The process is one of exchange. I’m

not a Dictatorial Director, who says do this, but at the end of the day, it’s all about me. And

there’s a lot of mini ME’s on stage. So the thing is about getting the actors to follow the role with

my guidance, yeah. Rather than telling them what to do, so a lot of times the process is a one of

collaboration, one of exploration and discovery.

: What motivational skills do you use?

: Hmm, I think I come to Theatre with passion, I teach with passion, I direct with a passion.

I think my passion is a motivator and I think that the only time you hear me talking about myself

like this, is in an interview. I’ll be on the streets and people just won’t know, I’ll just be another

person, you know. It’s only when somebody has to interview me that I talk about my skills. It’s

only when I’m pressed into talking about me that I realise how much I have done. Maybe I

should write the book.

It’s a kinda of an irony though, in many ways I have a level of shyness, you know. I’ll take the

spot light and go back into my hole you know. I’m not ah out there person. I read the papers

every day and watch television every day and that kind of thing. You see me and sometimes you

don’t because I’m always working.

: What steps do you take to direct plays?

: Hmm. I almost feeling like is a lecture I had this week. I teach directing so I had to pass

the secret to young directors for the first time. So the question just brings me back to part of that

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lecture, and it happens in a number of different ways. It happens sometimes I get a phone call, a

text message or I am normally approached by a producer. Or if it is privately, somebody asks me

about a year in advance. You can’t book me now for now.

I always have to turn to my calendar, and once I agree to do the play, it is basically reading the

play, reading the play, reading the play, reading the play and to go on reading the play again.

Then you audition your cast, then you plan the rehearsal schedule, then you take the play through

a process from moving the work from the page to the stage and you prepare it for it to be served.

It’s like you going to plan a Christmas dinner and you know you are going and serve the dinner

at 6 o’clock so from all early in December you know what your ingredients are. So if you want

to serve dinner at 6 o’clock you don’t want to finish cook at 3 o’clock in the morning, as the

things get cold. So you organize, so things happen just as you’re ready to serve. So as it finishes,

you are ready to serve. So you serve it right at 6 o’ clock.

So that’s the analogy I use in terms of directing and the process, you know. Its starts with the

cast, the process of auditioning and then finding the right people going through a rehearsal

process with them until you are ready to serve on Opening Night.

: What attracts you to want to direct a play?

: You know my passion to directing is what drives me. There is a process of discovery that

happens as a director during any process of delivering a play. Sometimes a play affects you when

you read it. Sometimes when you read the play, it doesn’t do anything for you, but when you

begin to move it to the stage and put physical action to it, it changes.

Depending on what’s my mood I’ll choose a certain play. I like local plays, but I don’t ever

begin to distinguish between local and foreign. Me, I am an Organic Director. I could never

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direct a play without a cast. Sometimes I read plays and it does nothing for me and when I hear a

cast read it, then the discovery happens. The things I wouldn’t have discovered if I would have

read it by myself. This is why I can’t be a Literature student. Because in Literature you just have

to read, as a Theatre Arts person, you experience. I learn something at every rehearsal. I don’t

ever consider myself to be the ultimate teacher. I consider myself to be a director. I will always

remain a student for Theatre. I think that sense of humility is what drives where the work goes.

: How long have you been the Coordinator of the Theatre Arts Department at UWI?

: I can’t remember the exact day you know. Let me check on my computer here, I never

remember. (He checks his computer), 2009 until now.

: I know that you are the Artistic Director of Malick Folk Performing Company. How long

have you been there and what is your experience like working there?

: I’ve been the Artistic Director of Malick since 2002. My experience has been a fantastic

one. Here at the university, I work with students who are training in Theatre Arts. Malick has lots

and lots of energy. It’s exciting. The ability to work in Folk Theatre is also another plus. I came

out of Best Village and I have grown to where I am now. It was an enjoyable, passionate process

and it is only when I do directing I begin to realize how long it is. I was a member of Malick

from its very first year.

: What awards have you won?

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 : (He gets up to show me some of his awards). This is my latest International Award. (He

point to it.) Some of my Awards are Departmental. I have received Cacique awards, and

Choreography awards.

: Who are some of your mentors?

: Hmm, in Theatre I have two mentors basically. One is Dr. Lester ‘Efebo’ Wilkinson. He

started me off at Mausica Folk Theatre and Mr. Rawle Gibbons, who was the Theatre Arts Head

of Department and he has continued to be my mentor.

I started to work with him being my Head of Department, I worked with him for 14

years as a Part Time Lecturer and then as a Lecturer and he as the Coordinator. Then he resigned

from being the Coordinator. We worked together as colleagues /lecturers and then about 6 or 7

years ago I became the Coordinator. He has gone. Dr. Wilkinson is working here and I am the

Head, you know. I am technically his boss but we have that brother/ boss kind of relationship.

They are still both my mentors and advise me. I fully respect them.

In terms of dance, Carlton Francis, he is deceased now. I have to always recognize his

contribution to my being. In Carlton Francis Dance Company, as a young teenager, I was

exposed to things Trinidad and Caribbean more than ever. My whole understanding of dance and

folk, even calypso came from that kind of presence. And now it is present in my work. I just

turned out to be an all rounded Theatre Person, that I could almost fit into any area of Theatre. I

was in Europe recently and I became a lighting technician. I did my own production, have done

choreography and so on. I am fairly well rounded.

: Do you think that people truly support the Arts?

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 : There are a lot of people who don’t, what we have to do with those who are interested and

those who do support, we have to keep them wanting to come. Consistently doing quality work,

consistently marketing and we could change the democracy of people who don’t support it.

There are some plays that pull large audiences. It all depends on audiences’ tastes. What we try

to do is have an appreciation for all types of Theatre. So it’s not really they and we, it’s all of us

at the end of the day, really focussing and developing National Theatre. You Know…..National

meaning Nationalistic.

: Thank You. Thank You

: I hope that I made some sense. I hope that you got some information from this. All the

best. One of the things I ask of all students who do these interviews is that you send me a draft of

what you write. Yea when you submit your paper ….remember meh nah. Don’t just do the

interview and forget me.

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