Land disputes are common, and they can destroy relationships.
The Wilfred Redhead drama, which was directed by form five theatre arts student Felix Wollard, told the story of two families whose lifelong friendship was torn apart by a land dispute.
Around 40 students and parents gathered in a lecture room at the school as the students put on the show. Also among attendees were Dennis Gill, a lecturer at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College who is a CXC external examiner, and Janice George-Harris, a theatre arts teacher at ESHS.
The student group was among several who performed plays Saturday night as part of the CXC assessments.
“I’ve seen some incredible performances tonight,” Mr. Gill said after the plays were completed. “I just saw a production that I consider breathtaking. I’ve encountered amazing actors getting out of this institution, and I think I can credit that to the teacher.”
The actors showed their understanding of drama through the performances, the examiner said of the approximately 30 students who participated.
“The thing about drama is that there are many facets. There are many facets. There’s the disciplined, human and interpersonal aspect of it,” Mr. Gill said. “The students are growing, and I think they demonstrated a mastering of the arts tonight.”
In the past, ESHS students have been among the top ten CXC theatre arts students in the Caribbean, according to Ms. George-Harris.
“I’m hoping this year we can have some of the top ten students again,” she said. “We’ve always had grade one students.”
Difficult task
The students were required to select a play, build a set for it, and then produce, direct and perform it, the teacher said.
The task was not easy, according to Mr. Wollard.
“My role as a director, I had to make sure everything went as planned,” he said. “The set design, sounds and stage appearance had to be presented as planned.”
The director’s responsibilities also included making sure the students got in character during rehearsals, he added.
One of those actors was N’Khoy Stoutt.
“I was nervous at first, but it ended up being a good experience,” Mr. Stoutt said. “I’ve been acting since I was 12 and this was my biggest performance.”
The high school senior was hopeful that he had impressed the examiners.
“I think I got an A from this performance,” he said. “I’m pretty sure.”
After watching Goose and Gander, the examiners moved to another lecture room to watch another play, The Ritual, written by Zeno Obi Constance.
That play portrayed the lives of pregnant teenagers who faced discrimination.
“We all face similar issues, and as in the story teenage pregnancy could happen to any of us,” said Tiwanna Andrews, who directed the play. “The play teaches us that we shouldn’t hide in our shadows.”
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