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Livestreamed on this page on Sunday 6 December 2020 at 1 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 3 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 4 p.m. EST (Kingston, UTC -5).

Jamaica
Sunday 6 December 2020

Jamaican Playwrights Answer George Bernard Shaw (Part 1)

10 Weeks In Jamaica: Theater Conversations from Jamaica to The World!

Produced With
Sunday 6 December 2020

Akiba Abaka Arts presented the conversation Jamaican Playwrights Answer George Bernard Shaw (Part 1) as a part of the 10 Weeks in Jamaica series livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Sunday 6 December 2020 at 1 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 3 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 4 p.m. EST (Kingston, UTC -5).

10 Weeks In Jamaica: Theater Conversations from Jamaica to The World!
Often seen as an ideal tropical vacation destination, the island nation of Jamaica is a tourism and cultural hub of the Caribbean known globally for its ska and reggae music, world class sprinters, high grade ganja, endless sunshine and beautiful beaches. Yet, Jamaica possesses a theatrical legacy that contains catalytic approaches to decolonization, language reclamation, indigenous narrative formation, community development and nation building. As the world focuses on achieving racial equity, the rich history and contemporary narratives of the Jamaican stage provides valuable learnings for theater practitioners and audiences in search of models and memories of progressive community building through the arts.

Jamaican Playwrights Answer George Bernard Shaw (Part 1)
In 1911, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw visited Jamaica during its reconstruction from the devastating earthquake of 1907. Speaking with the press, Shaw recommended that in order to overcome colonialism, Jamaica would need to develop, among other things, a local theatre. He remarked, “The next thing you want is a theatre, with all the ordinary travelling companies from England and America sternly kept out of it; for unless you do your own acting and writing your own plays, your theatre will be no use: it will in fact vulgarize and degrade you”.

Using Shaw’s statement as a prompt, we will look at the role of the playwright in Jamaican society. What reflections, representations and challenges of Jamaica do we get through the lens of its playwrights? How do they represent authentic narratives of the multiple cultures and peoples on the island and in its Diaspora?

Speakers (Part 1): David Tulloch, Fabian M. Thomas and Basil Dawkins

david tulloch

With a career in theatre spanning almost 27 years, David Tulloch is an all-rounder in the performing arts. He has written, produced and directed over 100 plays. He has 13 original scores to his credit and appeared in over 200 productions including stage plays and concerts. Notable productions include: “Scar” in LION KING; FOR MY DAUGHTER and ACROSS THE BRIDGE with the legendary Leonie Forbes; PRAYER PARTNER; WHITE SKIN BLACK HEART; SUGAR DADDY; AT THE BARRICADE; and ‘BANGARANG’. He was also a member of the cast of Jamaica’s longest running soap opera, ‘The Blackburns of Royal Palm Estate’ as the notorious “Sobers”. He was signed to the Shebada franchise for 3 years writing and directing a slew of hits. He has also written for the Delcita franchise. David is a thirteen-time Actor Boy Award winner, seven-time Thespy Spirit award winner and three-time Methuen award winner and a Prime Minister’s Youth awardee. David is the general manager and proprietor of The Phoenix Theatre Company Ltd and was recently inducted into the Probemaster Entertainment Hall of Fame. David was dubbed the ‘Golden Boy of Jamaican Theatre’ by Tallawah Magazine, ‘Miracle-worker’ by his close colleagues and is more commonly referred to as the ‘Mad Scientist’ of the industry. He lectures at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean. David also is a chief adjudicator for speech and drama at the JCDC. He has been in management and communications for almost 2 decades and recently is pursuing a career in politics as the standard bearer for the People’s National Party in the constituency of North Eastern St. Andrew.

fabian thomas

Born in England to Jamaican parents, Fabian has taken on many roles over the years and feels that each one is as important as the next in defining who he is and his life’s work. He is currently an Adjunct Lecturer in the Institute of Caribbean Studies, University of the West Indies, transformational trainer/facilitator, life/corporate coach, poet/spoken word artist, actor and published writer. He holds a B.A. in Mass Communication and Literature from the University of the West Indies, Mona and an M.A. in Public Communications from Fordham University in the USA. Over the years his work as a social and behavior change communications
consultant helped him to play a leading part in bringing much needed attention to HIV Prevention and Awareness, which became one of his many specialties. Fabian is the founder and Artistic Director of the performing arts group Tribe Sankofa and is dedicated to the Arts as a tool for transformation and is the founder/sole trader of his own company called Sankofa Arts & Facilitation. In 2018, he self-published his collection of gratitude verses, affirmations and spoken word entitled New Thought, New Words. He hosts a YouTube talk/interview show called Fabian Seh and is the co-host of a parenting podcast called ‘She has kids. He doesn’t’.

basil dawkins

Basil Dawkins was recognised by the Institute of Jamaica in 2004 when he received the prestigious Musgrave Award for his achievements as a playwright, and for his contributions to the development of theatre in Jamaica. Basil Dawkins, the playwright and producer has celebrated over 30 year of success in theatre. His journey started as a student at the University of the West Indies where he acted in the Inter Hall Drama festival. Since that experience he developed and honed his skills in writing, becoming an outstanding multi award winning playwright, known for writing engaging drama and comedy and at times successfully combining both. He has cemented his position as one of the most talented, and entertaining playwrights ever to emerge from Jamaican theatre.

About HowlRound TV
HowlRound TV is a global, commons-based peer produced, open access livestreaming and video archive project stewarded by the nonprofit HowlRound. HowlRound TV is a free and shared resource for live conversations and performances relevant to the world's performing arts and cultural fields. Its mission is to break geographic isolation, promote resource sharing, and to develop our knowledge commons collectively. Participate in a community of peer organizations revolutionizing the flow of information, knowledge, and access in our field by becoming a producer and co-producing with us. Learn more by going to our participate page. For any other queries, email [email protected], or call Vijay Mathew at +1 917.686.3185 Signal/WhatsApp. View the video archive of past events.

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