‘I should have been there’ shines at Drama Festival Awards
The National Drama Festival Awards Ceremony 2012 at the National Cultural Centre on Friday evening saw ‘I should have been There” taking top honours , copping four of the top awards in the Junior category.
Winning prizes for the Best Actor and best Actress Junior Debutants categories, the play also won in the categories for Best Director, Best Costume, Best Set Design and Use, and Best Production.
A scene from the play ‘Tears in the Gayelle’ which won
the award for Best Director
The blazing performances throughout the festival prompted veteran theatre professional Ron Robinson who copped the Best Actor prize for a full length play to laud the performers, telling them that they were “the future of theatre” in Guyana. Robinson shared the Best Actor Award with another veteran Mahadeo Shivraj.
Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony congratulated the performers, expressing the thrill of success of the 2012 productions following what was called a remarkable 2011 Festival. He pointed out that this year there were 40 performances staged during the festival compared to 18 last year.
Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony
with winning performers at the National Drama Festival
Awards 2012
The Minister observed also that the 2012 festival has resulted in a large upsurge of creativity in dramatic activity in Guyana. Lauding the quality of the productions, Minister Anthony said it has brought life to the National Cultural Centre.
The resounding successes of the various groups and the vindication of their mentors’ faith in them as well as the dedication of the performers to the performing arts and their individual productions prompted the Minister to throw out a challenge that could see the performing arts sector rocket to prominence.
He urged them to collate themselves into a National Body that could work as a single unit to make it easier for performers in Guyana to access the necessary support that they would need in the future.
Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony with
Directors of the winning plays at the National Drama Festival
Awards 2012
Dr. Anthony also posited that it would also be easier to move on into the regional arena in this manner and that it would make a bigger difference in the performing arts in Guyana.
The awards ceremony was hosted by the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport in collaboration with Digicel. Some of the winners are :
Best use of Sound
Junior debutantes-Let it Shine
Junior Category Youth Groups-Dancing in Circles
Open Category Short plays- Sometimes at Midnight
Secondary Schools Category- Ti Jean and Brothers
Best Production
Junior debutantes – I should have Been There
Junior Category Youth Groups – Ensnared
Full Length plays category – Virtue
Best Actor
Junior debutantes – Hiresh Chitragen in I should Have Been There
Junior Category Youth Groups – Ezania Lewis in Ensnared
Open Category Short plays – Ezania Lewis
Secondary Schools Category – Julius Allen
Full Length plays category – Mahadeo Shivraj and Ron Robinson
Best supporting Actor
Junior debutantes – Carlos Griffith
Junior Category Youth Groups _ Paul Budnah
Open Category Short plays – Nkosi Lane
Secondary Schools Category – Terrrence GIddings
Full Length plays category -Mark Kassim
Best Supporting Actress
Junior debutantes -Shonnette Waterman
Junior Category Youth Groups – Shameeza Hussain
Open Category Short plays- Lisa Punch
Secondary Schools Category – Anita Philander
Full Length plays category – Sonia Yarde
Best Actress
Junior debutantes – Gladys Suknanan
Junior Category Youth Groups – Noreen Gerrard
Secondary Schools Category – Nakosie Prince
Best Director
Junior debutantes-I should have been there
Junior Category Youth Groups-Ensnared
Open Category Short plays-Between the Cover
Secondary Schools Category – Tears in the Gayelle
Full Length plays category – Virtue
Best Costume
Junior debutantes-I should have been there
Junior Category Youth Groups- I should have been there
Open Category Short plays- Saving Grace
Secondary Schools Category- Ti Jean and Brothers
Full Length plays category- Sauda
Best Set design and Use
Junior debutantes- I should have been there
Junior Category Youth Groups-Imprisoned
Open Category Short plays-Imprisoned
Secondary Schools Category-Ti Jean and brothers
Full Length plays category-83 Million Gees
Best original Guyanese Play
Junior debutantes – Let it shine
Junior Category Youth Groups – Colour of Race
Open Category Short plays – Till Death
Secondary Schools Category – Daddy’s Daughter
Full Length plays category – Virtue
Best Light design and use
Junior debutantes-Let it shine
Junior Category Youth Groups-Ensnared and Dancing in circles
Open Category Short plays- The Blind Truth
Secondary Schools Category-Ti Jean and Brothers
Full Length plays category-Sizwebanze is dead