-and he’s in one helluva ‘mango’ mood
VETERAN Guyanese entertainer, Ken Corsbie, will be the guest of GEMS Theatre Productions over the next few days as he prepares to extol the virtues of mangoes in a skit titled ‘This Mango Sweet’ in three live performances, beginning on Friday at the Theatre Guild here in the city.

‘This Mango Sweet’ is a potpourri of personal stories of growing up and living in Guyana and the Caribbean, memories of family, and arriving and (mal)adjusting in America, and Ken, who’s an educator, journalist, storyteller, poetry performer, stand-up comedian, theatre designer and director all rolled into one, will be sharing the Theatre Guild stage with the likes of Ron Robinson and Francis Quamina Farrier, both veterans like himself in the theatre field, as well as Camo Williams.

On the following day, which is Saturday, the action moves to the Lichas Hall, where Lindeners will see Ken sharing the stage with the popular and equally entertaining Henry Rodney and Kirk ‘Chow-Pow’ Jardine beginning at 20:00h.

Then next Sunday, from 17:00 h, he will be in Berbice to liven things up there at the Berbice High School from 17:00h, again with the help of Henry Rodney and ‘Chow Pow’ and Rajan Tiwarie. Part proceeds from this show will go towards the St. Vincent de Paul Friendly Society.

But before all that, a workshop is slated for the Girl Guides Pavilion on Wednesday from 10:00h to noon for students of the GEMS Youth Theatre Workshop.

According to GEMS, Ken, who studied stage, lighting design and directing in England, started out as an actor in amateur theatre in Guyana way back in the early 50s, and worked his way up the ladder to become artistic director at The Theatre Guild.

He was at one time a radio producer/announcer and liaison officer for the then fledgling Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) which job took him all across the Caribbean, and producer/performer of a two and then four-person theatre group (DEM-TWO & ALL AH WE) during the 1970s, with Marc Matthews, Henry Muttoo, and John Agard.

He migrated to Barbados in the 80s, and for the next 17 years worked throughout the island chain, from Guyana to Belize, as a solo entertainer, educator, journalist, storyteller, poetry performer, stand up comedian, theatre designer and director.

Today, he continues to perform in the Caribbean and North America, where he runs workshops, designs, directs, and tells stories at festivals, cafes, schools, universities, libraries, after dinners, anniversaries, conferences, and special events.

He is a recipient of the Arrow of Achievement (AA) from the Guyana Government, the Cacique Award from the Trinidad & Tobago Drama Association, several for stage design and directing, and a special award from the Long Island Traditions organization in the USA where he now resides.

Tickets for the Theatre Guild performance cost $2,500 (auditorium) and $2000 (balcony) and are on sale at the Playhouse, Nigel’s Supermarket and Margarita Gift Shop.

Ticket for the Lichas Hall show are $1000, and are on sale at Lifetime Gift Shop or any member of the Lichas Drama Group, while tickets for the New Amsterdam leg of the tour are $1,000, and are on sale at the Little Rock sub-office on Main Street, in New Amsterdam, and at Dave’s TV, Shauna Beauty Salon and Wattsan’s catering in Lad Lane, all in New Amsterdam.