Ayanna O.

Waddell
Tel: (592) 691-1504, Email: ayannaw.mer@gmail.com
Ayanna Waddell
Began her theatre life in 2008 after participating in the pre-Carifesta X workshop in acting where she made her debut in ‘Legend of the Silk
Cotton Tree’ – Carifesta X. Since then she has acted in several Theatre Guild productions – Dr. Paloma Mohamed’s Seawall Moon; and The
Vigil, Family Grouse, Ev’rytime I feel the Spirit and Shoes Blues - under the direction of Jennifer Thomas. She was also part of the cast of ‘To
Sir With Love – The Guyana Version written by Mosa Telford and directed by Ron Robinson in 2013.

Instructed by Al Creighton Jnr. in the discipline of Directing under the Merundoi IDB/CYP – Youth Preservation for Cultural Preservation
Project 2012, Ayanna copped the Best Director Award for ‘The Colour of Race’ at the Merundoi Awards that same year. Since then she has
been at the helm of several award winning plays (The Colour of Race, Mommy, Planned to Perfection) in the National Drama Festival (NDF)
where she recently won the NDF 2014 Best Director Award (Short Play-Open Category) for ‘Guilty Pleasures’ written by National Drama
Company (NDC) member Nicola Moonsammy. She has also worked as production assistant on the local films – Tradition (2011) and To the
Night (2012) and as Director on the Documentary Dirty Pictures – Sexting in Guyana for the Non-Fiction Documentary Series Guyana
Pepperpot (2010).

A graduate from the University of Guyana with her Degree in Communication, a drama mentor since 2013 and graduate of National School
of Theatre Arts & Drama (NSTAD) 2014 she currently lectures Stage, Properties, Front of House Management and Acting 2 at NSTAD.

She also worked as stage manager on Expressions 1 & 2 and Assistant Stage Manager of Link Show 31 under GEMS Productions. She
currently Stage Manages productions under the banner of the National Drama Company of Guyana

Ayanna graduated with the Advance Diploma in Poetry from the Institute of Creative Arts (ICA) - NSTAD in 2021

In February of 2023, Ayanna Directed SUADA for the Guyana Literary Festival hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports

She currently works at NCERD within the Distance Education and Information Unit – Radio Station EdYou FM as Station Manager

EDUCATION CAPE, Performing Arts, 2015

Drama Grade II
Theatre Guild of Guyana

Diploma in Theatre Arts & Drama, 2014

National School of Theatre Arts & Drama
Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport

B.Sc. Communication Studies, 2008

University of Guyana, Turkeyen

Diploma Public Communication, 2004

University of Guyana, Turkeyen

Certificate in Language and Communication, 2001

Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE)

TRAINING & CERTIFICATES
Basic Principles and Applications of Film Making, The Georgetown Film Festival, April 2022
Advance Diploma in Poetry, National School of Theatre Arts & Drama, Ministry of Culture, Youth &
Sport, 2021
Diploma in Creative Writing, National School of Theatre Arts & Drama – MCYS, 2017
Diploma in Theatre Arts & Drama, National School of Theatre Arts & Drama, Ministry of Culture, Youth
& Sport, 2014
Drama Mentor, National School of Theatre Arts & Drama – National Drama Festival 2013, 2014
Merundoi IDB/CYP – Youth Preservation for Culture Preservation Project: Directing, Jan. – May 2012
The Presidents Film Endowment Project: CineGuyana, April – July 2011
Foundation in Videography: Introduction to Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Premiere, March 2011
Television Field Production Workshop – Producing Guyana on Television “Designing and Implementing
a Non-Fiction Documentary Series” - Guyana Pepperpot, July – August 2010
Actor, CARIFESTA X Secretariat, 2008
Actor, Merundoi Street Theatre, 2008

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FILM PROJECTS Welcome to Guyana: A short film about a young man Dwayne, who hopes to meet his cousin in the
Caribbean for the first time. The Georgetown Film Festival Workshop, Actor, October 2022

Can you hear me Mommy: A 6 minute skit written by Gabrielle Singh about a son’s struggle after his
mother’s death. Directed by Justine Hamer. Videographer/Editor, 2018

To the Night: A 20 minute short film on a mother’s struggle to raise two teenagers while working as a
prostitute – Assistant to Producer, 2012

Tradition: A 10 minute short film on the culture of Masquerade in Guyana through the eyes of a Mother
and son struggling to find common ground in their beliefs. Writing Team, Production Assistant, April –
July 2011

Dirty Pictures: Sexting in Guyana - A 12 minute documentary on young people and the new culture of
sharing sexually explicit content on social networks through technology. Director, August 2010.

THEATRE & STAGE PROJECTS Spirits of the Mountain Crest: Stage Manager/Actor, May 2022

Republic Bank Talent Spectacular: Stage Manager, May 2019

Schools Mashramani Competition: Poetry, Judge, 2017 - 2023

CARIFESTA XII Haiti [2015], CARIFESTA XIII Barbados [2017], CARIFESTA XIV Trinidad [2019]: NDC
Director/Stage Manager/Actor

CARIFESTA X Guyana [2008]: Actor

The National Drama Company (NDC):

SAUDA – The Guyana Literary Festival 2023: Director, February – March 2023
180 Anniversary Victoria Village: NDC Stage Manager/Actor, November 2019
Thank you QC! Concert & Cultural Evening: Stage Manager/Actor, November 2019
38 Annual West Indian Literature Conference: Stage Manager/Actor, October 2019
Ti Jean and his brothers: Stage Manager/Actor, April 2019
Mashramani Folk Night Event: Actor, February 2019
Musings of a Poet: Stage Manager/Actor, February 2019
The Tempest: Actor, April 2018
The Lion and the Jewel: Director/Actor, April 2017
Ti Jean and his brothers: Stage Manager/Actor, September 2016
Henry Rodney All Star Benefit Show: Actor 2016
RUKATUKS!: Actor, 2015
Demerara Gold/Pandora’s Box: Actor - NCC 2015
The Trouble with Neketa: Actor, 2014, 2015

Kreative Arts
Greens & Golds 4 - In We Feelings: Stage Manager, October 2022
Greens & Golds 3 - Watch We Now: Stage Asst., November 2019
Greens & Golds 2 - Guyana We Bawn – Son of Plantation Rome: Actor, October 2018
Greens & Golds: Stage Asst., Videography, October 2017

The National Drama Festival:

NDF Stage Manager, 2017 - 2020
Guilty Pleasures – Director - NCC, October 2014
Mommy & Planned to Perfection – Director - NCC, November 2013
Fare Picker - Actor - NCC 2013
The Colour of Race – Director - NCC, September 2012

National School of Theatre Arts and Drama (NSTAD):

Dramatic Distancing: Theatre Without Walls, Committee Member, November 2020
Demerara Gold + Pandora’s Box – Actor, January 2015
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 The Trouble with Neketa – Actor, November 2014
Guyana Festival – Actor, August 2014
The Performance 2 – Actor, July 2014
Expressions: An Evening of Poetry, Shakespeare & Walcott – Stage Manage/Actor, May 2014
The Performance 1 – Actor, April 2014
World Poetry Day – Actor, March 2014
World Storytelling Day – Actor, March 2014

The National Cultural Centre, Guyana:

Link Show 31: Assistant Stage Manager/Actor, January/February 2015
Legend of the Silk Cotton Tree: Dancer - CARIFESTA X 2008
Legend of the Silk Cotton Tree: Actor - Pre - Carifesta Workshop Presentation 2008

The Theatre Guild of Guyana:

Chitra – Stage Manager, CAPE 2015
The Colour of Race (Merundoi One Act Festival) – Director, July 2012
Shoes Blues – Actor, 2010
Ev’rytime I feel the Spirit – Actor, 2010
Family Grouse – Actor, 2009
The Vigil – Actor, 2009
Seawall Moon – Actor, 2008

Horizon Arts Productions

Watch de Ride 1 – Actor, 2010
To Dad with Love2 – Actor, 2010
To Dad with Love – 2009

Merundoi Street Theatre Activities – 2008 - 2011

INTERESTS Photography, Reading, Writing, Directing, Acting, Mentoring Drama

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