THE National Drama Company of Guyana has wowed patrons in South Trinidad as they put on a showcase of Guyanese folklore and culture with intersperse performances on few social topics.

The performance was held on Tuesday evening at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) in San Fernando, Trinidad. It was part of a host of activities organised for CARIFESTA XIV, which began on August 16 and will conclude on August 25.
Guyana began with a showcase of the ‘Tadja’. It usually involves processions carrying flags, tadja drums and replica of the coffin and shrine of Hussayn (a.s.). At Guyana’s performance, there were also sword-fighting displays.

The Tadja came from India, specifically with the Muslim indentured labourers.
Over the years, the Tadja performance has lost its popularity, with Hindu cultural elements taking a greater role at East Indian celebrations. The drama company; however, endeavoured to not only revive the Tadja but, also re-enact it at a grand platform, i.e., Carifesta.

Drama presentations detailing the folklore of the Baccoo and the Ol’ Higue followed the Tadja. Though the performance of the Baccoo had an eerie beginning with ‘Baccoos’ sneaking up on persons in the audience, the performance was thoroughly enjoyed by patrons because of the comical elements that drama company integrated into it.
On the other hand, the Ol’ Higue performance really caught the attention of spectators. This performance illustrated how the old woman changes into the Ol’ Higue and sneaks in through the window to suck the baby’s blood. But it also showed the process of catching the Ol’ Higue, making her count 1000 grains of rice, and the trashing she would receive once caught.

One Trinidadian, who was in the audience, hailed the Ol’ Higue performance as “one of the best” portrayals of this particular folklore he, has ever seen.

These two performances were followed by the story of ‘Stick Fighting’. Through this, the kings of two masquerade bands fought to rule over Georgetown. The stick fight has its roots in African traditions, where males would assert their dominance through fight and dance. This was brought to the Caribbean with the enslaved Africans and incorporated into the spirit of carnival. The dramatisation of this also gave insight into the origins of masquerade.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, one Trinidadian patron remarked that the showcase was definitely a well done one. For him, the portrayal of the ‘stick fighting’ which had masquerade elements in it, reminded him of his own Trinidadian Carnival. This section of Guyana’s play, alongside the masquerade done by the St. Kitts and Nevis masqueraders emphasised the shared culture across Caribbean countries, which has been derived from the plantation experience.

The drama performances were followed by spoken word pieces which spotlighted social issues. On Tuesday night, these pieces dealt with speaking up, youths and the future, domestic violence and environmental conservation.

Local actor and spoken word poet, Mark Luke Edwards, was the one who got a resounding applause from SAPA’s audience with his piece on domestic violence, which highlighted the struggles women face. Keon Heywood’s piece on environmental conservation was also well-received.