SUNDAY 2ND NOVEMBER, 2014 – UWI TODAY
13
OUR STUDENTS
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, productionmanager and half of
the duo behind Halqa Productions, sums it up as, “We want
to give people a chance – young artists, newcomers.”
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 performwell, 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.
Mango Season
Young theatre company runs it like a business for the benefit of the artists
B y A m y L i B a k s h
“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.
“These things aren’t written down…but we are pulling
fromdifferent 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
MarcusWaldron, 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 14
th
to
the 23
rd
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,” saysMoodoo. “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.”
Simeon Chris Moodoo and Hannah Sammy, 2014 UWI
graduands.
PHOTOS: Aneel Karim
