THE National Drama Company’s contributions to theatre arts over the past few years have been significant. From an insider’s perspective, it has been quite easy to recognise the strength and skills that the company has been exemplifying in every production or event that they are a part of, despite being a group that is still quite young.

Hundreds of nights of rehearsals, months of script-writing, and several standout performances over the past few years, all with only a small core group of talented individuals, have ensured that people are aware of the fact that the National Drama Company of Guyana is intent on continuing to carve out a name for itself in the hallowed halls of exemplary Guyanese theatre.

Tashandra Inniss, the current President of the National Drama Company has, in an interview, said that the company has plans to branch off into new and exciting realms of theatre, but she also highlighted the importance of existing traditions and culture when she pointed out that the company will be tapping into street theatre, which has the potential to involve the Guyanese public in a dialogue about a range of social issues.

She also spoke about the company’s experience representing Guyana at CARIFESTA XIII which was held in Barbados last year, saying that members of the company thoroughly enjoyed being able to represent their country and showing what Guyana has to offer at such a significant level of theatre arts. They were also enthusiastic about being given the opportunity to meet and interact with their Caribbean counterparts.

Inniss also relayed that in 2018 the company remains committed to its core values and goals which are often represented in the company’s productions. A good example of this has to do with the way the company sees itself as crucial to the study of theatre in Guyana, and one of its early benchmarks has been to establish an annual performance of one of the plays that are being studied on the CSEC Literature syllabus.

In the past, the company has staged successful performances of Ti Jean and His Brothers by Nobel Prize winner, Derek Walcott; and The Lion and the Jewel by Nobel Prize winner, Wole Soyinka. The success of these endeavours are, of course, reflected in the presence of students and teachers who attend the plays, but also in the way the enthusiasm for the work of the National Drama Company is reflected in how students have been vocal about how much the productions of their literary texts have helped them, as a quick survey of students’ comments on the company’s YouTube page would show.

Often, students reach out to directors and actors long after the performances are over for further help with their CSEC plays or their SBA assignments. Clearly, the act of transmitting information from page to stage to student is an act that both the company and the public are becoming aware of and utilising to their mutual advantage. Currently, the company is gearing up for this year’s production of a CSEC play.

Ayanna Waddell, Secretary of the National Drama Company, also hinted at what to expect this year, stating that the company is hoping to dabble in some new genres of theatre that will help to push company members to grow, as theatre itself is always something that is growing and evolving.

Clearly, without a group who are able to represent the shape-shifting and ever-changing nature of theatre, then theatre itself remains stagnant and static and, therefore, loses whatever effect or power it has on an audience, on the society it is meant to affect. It is obvious that the National Drama Company understands not only theatre but also the way it works and the purpose it is meant to serve. Waddell has clued us into the fact that this year the company will also be tapping into the various realms of talents that the thespians within the company possess in order to show the true scope of the talent in the company.

The National Drama Company, being an extension of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama which falls under the Department of Culture, is also responsible for hosting or producing several other events that take place during the year that the people may not know require the skills and expertise of company members.

These include events like the annual World Storytelling and World Poetry Day events which are usually held at the Umana Yana, as well as the Theatre Training workshops for teachers, which provides training in various areas of Theatre Arts (Acting, Stage Management, Directing, Playwriting, etc.) to teachers from all across Guyana who, once trained, would be able to use their skills to be better prepared to teach Theatre Arts in high schools as well as extend their love of theatre to students – as they are the ones who will carry theatre into the future. For these noble reasons alone, it is difficult to not be excited about the work that the National Drama Company of Guyana will be doing in 2018.