Rae Wiltshire’s Don’t Ask Me Why Set to Stir Guyana’s Stage on July 6th

THERE’S a certain quiet tension that comes with big questions—the kind that makes you sit still and wonder if there’s even an answer at all. In playwright and director Rae Wiltshire’s latest production, Don’t Ask Me Why, that very tension is what drives the story forward.

The play, which won the 2022 Guyana Prize for Literature in the Drama category, is finally being brought to life on stage with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. And while it promises bold performances and unexpected humour when it premieres on July 6th at the National Cultural Centre, it also promises something much deeper—an experience that forces the audience to confront life’s hardest, most personal questions.

Speaking to Pepperpot Magazine just days before the debut, writer and co-director, Rae Wiltshire, shared that the play, also directed by Ayanna Waddell and starring the immensely talented Sonia Yard as its lead, tackles some very serious and thought-provoking themes. “Winner of the Guyana Prize for Literature, Don’t Ask Me Why begins with a lonely creator and a question no God can answer,” Wiltshire explained. He added, “What unfolds is a real, heartbreaking, and darkly humorous journey through creation, loss, and the limits of divine power.”

The synopsis alone offers a glimpse into a universe that’s fantastical yet surprisingly grounded, with very bold elements of reality. The talented creatives behind the production have put their best foot forward in creating something as immersive as possible, blending the surreal with the spiritual. “It’s an absurdist, existential, tragic comedy featuring four characters, two of which are supernatural beings,” Wiltshire said. “They’re asked questions by other creatures, but they have no answers for them. And so the play is basically them going back and forth, trying to answer these simple questions when everyone is lost in this world—this garden, essentially.”

This year’s production features an ensemble of familiar names in the local theatre scene: Sonia Yard in the central role, supported by Latiefa Agard, Kevin Kellman, and Rae Wiltshire himself, who also takes on a role in the play. While the play’s philosophical core may seem abstract at first glance, the production itself is rooted in something very real—a growing appetite for diversity and innovation in Guyana’s theatre space. “I hope people walk away with just a deep appreciation for different types of theatre,” Wiltshire said. “And I hope people’s minds are explored and grown, and they want to just question everything, and more, about their life’s purpose and their role in life. And I would say that they can live a life for them.”

He doesn’t expect the audience to leave with answers. In fact, that’s not what Don’t Ask Me Why is about. What he hopes, instead, is that people leave with questions. That, perhaps, is the play’s greatest strength. It doesn’t aim to offer closure or tie life’s mysteries into neat little bows. It dares to disrupt, to challenge long-held beliefs, and to explore themes not often brought to life on stage in Guyana.

Despite the weighty subject matter, Wiltshire said that the process of bringing the play to the stage has been largely smooth. “We haven’t had any hurdles or challenges,” he noted. “Maybe some minor hiccups, but nothing that I’m aware of in the production anyway.”

Like many of its successful counterparts, Don’t Ask Me Why is being produced with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Rae credited the Ministry for its instrumental role in making the production possible. “The Ministry always sponsors the prize-winning play, whether it placed first, second, or third. This play, Don’t Ask Me Why, won first place in 2022. It was also awarded again by the Ministry of Tourism in 2022, and they had a ceremony in 2023, and that’s why we are now putting it on stage,” Wiltshire shared.

The Guyana Prize for Literature has long been more than just a moment of recognition. For many creatives, it serves as a catalyst—one that opens doors, secures funding, and brings life to stories that might otherwise remain on paper. In Rae’s case, the prize has allowed him to push the boundaries of local theatre yet again. Known for his sharp, provocative writing and bold directorial choices, Wiltshire’s work continues to challenge audiences to think—and feel—differently.

In “Don’t Ask Me Why,” he continues that tradition with daring dialogue, layered performances, and a narrative that demands his audience reconsider everything they think they know about creation, divinity, and identity. The result is not just a night at the theatre—it’s a conversation starter, a mirror, and a moment of reflection. With a strong cast, a thoughtful script, and the weight of the Guyana Prize behind it, Don’t Ask Me Why promises to be one of this year’s most compelling theatrical experiences. And for Wiltshire, the takeaway is simple: even if the questions are difficult, or the answers unclear, walk away asking them.

Interested in attending?
Tickets for Don’t Ask Me Why are available at the National Cultural Centre for just $3,000. So whether you’re a lifelong theatre lover or new to the experience, come out on July 6th and be a part of the intrigue. You may not leave with answers—but you’ll definitely leave intrigued.