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November 2014 |
The practitioners of the arts have found themselves in a business culture where their trade often goes underpaid and underappreciated. “In no other business in the world do you treat people like that,” laments Sammy. Matter-of-factly, she establishes that her priority is making sure Halqa (pronounced hal-kah) protects the rights of aspiring Caribbean thespians. She figured out the legal jargon herself to put together contracts ensuring everyone is being properly compensated for their time, and, in her words, being treated like a person. “They need to know they have rights. I worked so hard on these contracts. But the actors come on time, they perform well, they bring good energy all the time. You just feel like this is a healthy environment.” Of course, this is only the business side of their operation, and these priorities feed into a larger ideal that the young company stands for. Simeon Chris Moodoo, founder of the company and fiancé of its other member, stresses that their focus is on community. Even the name of the company reflects this. “I came across the word ‘Halqa’ when I was studying Asian and African theatre, and it means ring or circle in Arabic,” he explains. The circle calls to mind oral traditions, where the storyteller is at the centre and the community gathers around them. “The idea of telling stories in a circle, the idea of unity and community, that’s where the name came from.” Retracing cultural roots seems to be a central part of this project, and naturally their first play is heavily steeped in local culture. The team of two has expanded to ten for their upcoming production, Under the Mango Trees, written by Moodoo himself.
“These things aren’t written down… but we are pulling from different academics and practitioners to piece together something that is Trinbagonian; that captures the essence of who we are,” he says. This is uncharted territory for these young creators, both UWI alumni graduating with the class of 2014, and as such there is a lot of experimentation. The aggressive visuals of the traditional stick-fight are translated into tension between characters, and there is an abstractness to the setting itself. Director of the play, another UWI alumnus Marcus Waldron, describes it as happening “in a space where the issues of time and place are less relevant.” Waldron considers the play a work in progress, and even the actors are involved in the creative process. For someone who borrows so heavily from traditional ideas, Moodoo has chosen an untraditional method to convey them. But, as Sammy notes, the entire company is a work in progress. “We’re all learning,” he says. “But that’s what makes Halqa so close-knit—everybody, from the leadership go down – is learning. We’re making a lot of mistakes, but I like where we’re going.” Under the Mango Trees, which runs from the 14th to the 23rd of November at the Little Carib Theatre, is the first of many projects being planned by the couple, who hope to expand into the realm of teaching. Their idea is to incorporate theatre in education with other aspects of learning not focused on in the schooling structure; areas like adult literacy, catering to those that the current system does not. “As far as helping the community, I think as big as the Caribbean,” says Moodoo. “But you need to start somewhere. You need to start at home… We’re trying to foster a sharing of energy; that idea of being aware that there are other people in your space; you’re not alone on this island.” |
In the theatre world, especially the smaller productions, the informality of the proceedings can mean actors don’t know if and when they are getting paid. It is not uncommon for newcomers to be offered exposure or experience in lieu of payment. The idea that an art should be pursued for the love of the thing and not money sometimes translates into a flippant approach towards the financial needs of those who choose to pursue it. It can be a daunting task to challenge the standards of worth placed upon Caribbean artists by an unappreciative society, but a young theatre production team, made up of UWI students and alumni, have taken up the challenge. Hannah Sammy, production manager and half of the duo behind Halqa Productions, sums it up as, “We want to give people a chance – young artists, newcomers.”
“The work that we do is Caribbean, not only in content, but in essence,” he explains. Traditional mas’ characters, rich with the histories and struggles of our ancestors, have a weighty influence on his work, but like all modern creators he must find a channel to translate these images and ideas into the setting that we inhabit now. These traditional elements, he says, are being used to thread the story along, to work through the issues of politics, gender roles, domestic violence; preoccupations of modern society that come out in the play.