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The Theatre of St. Lucian Society-folk tradition to modern stage

The Theatre of St. Lucian Society-folk tradition to modern stage

Publié le par Stéphane Martelly


The Theatre of St. Lucian Society-folk tradition to modern stage

FOLK RESEARCH CENTRE, CASTRIES, SAINT LUCIA
The 2nd St. Lucia Studies Conference
Proposed Date: April 6th - 8th 2005


Rationale/Background
The second St. Lucia Studies Conference slated for April 2005 focuses on the theatrical tradition of the island.
January 23, 2005 marks the seventy-fifth birthday of Nobel Laureate for Literature, the Honourable Derek Walcott and his twin brother (now deceased) Roderick Walcott. Derek Walcott's prolific output of plays that explore not just the cultural and social intricacies of St. Lucia but also those of wider Caribbean society is well known throughout the region and internationally.

His twin brother, Roderick, although not as well known on the international stage, is credited with establishing the foundation of St. Lucia's theatrical tradition when the Walcott twins and their friends started the St. Lucia Arts Guild back in the 1950s. This conference provides an opportunity to honour and pay tribute not just to the Nobel Laureate but also to Roderick Walcott for his critical role and contribution to St.
Lucia's existing theatrical development.
The formal tradition of St. Lucian theatre also includes contemporaries of the Walcotts like Stanley French and Allan Weekes.

The conference also encompasses the post-independence generation of St. Lucian playwrights and dramatists who have continued the Walcott legacy. Included among these are MacDonald Dixon, Kendel Hippolyte, Gandolph St. Clair, Hayden Forde and Floreta Nicholas. The eighties marked the appearance of several theatre groups, many of them short-lived, that provided the fora for development of contemporary St. Lucian theatre. The Arts Guild was succeeded by The Creative and Performing Arts Society, The New Day Theatre Workshop, One Love Theatre, Unity Theatre Workshop, Creole Theatre and Lighthouse Theatre among others. While these were mainly based in the capital Castries, significant and long-lived groups like the Soufriere Action Theatre and the State Theatre of Micoud (led by the late Lucia Peters-Charlery) made unique contributions. The one-man theatre of a performer like George 'Fish' Alphonse drew on a multiplicity of local and Caribbean influences.

The nineties saw even more theatrical sophistication and modernity with the formation of the Factory group, the Téyat tout a fè, Pappyshow Park revues and the Chè Campèche players. These represent a broad range of theatrical presentation from experiments in folk theatre to serious satirical drama to Creole farce.


The popular theatre movement that was prominent in the eighties is an area of particular interest because its form is steeped in the orality and "social immediacy" of St. Lucian society. Through improvisation, the actors focused on some of the most pressing social concerns.

The use of Creole in dramatic productions - from the stylized use of Creole by the Walcotts to the more natural use by popular Chè Campèche - is another important element of the conference's exploration of the local theatrical tradition.

 The background to the most significant and unique St. Lucian theatre are the traditional theatre experiences of Masquerade and Papa Djab (or Toes,) as well as the stylized theatre of the flower festivals. These carry with them musical traditions that are inseparable from St. Lucian drama performances. The Conference will provide room for research into these traditional performance traditions and how they have helped to create modern St. Lucian drama.

 


Possible Thematic lines:

Roots and branches: Christmas traditions - Papa Djab (Toes), Masquerade; Flower festivals; faith and superstition; folk tales.

The Walcotts and their generation - St. Lucia, the Caribbean and beyond.
Historical development : The St. Lucia Arts Guild; the post-independence dramatists; 21st century matters.

Theatre and its communities - the rise and decline of the popular theatre movement.

The business of theatre - the cultural, social and commercial history of St. Lucian theatre groups.

St. Lucian Creole Theatre - possibilities of a unique contribution to Caribbean and world theatre?

The playwrights and their theatre : Individual dramatists: Derek Walcott, Roderick Walcott, Stanley French, Gandolph St. Clair, Kendel Hippolyte, George 'Fish' Alphonse.

The spectacle of Adrian Augier - carnival traditions and St. Lucian theatre : Hewanorra Story, Sarafina, Anthem.

Theatre into video: the digital age and theatre development - Ribbons of Blue, Chè Campèche et al.

St. Lucian theatre and radio drama.

Other suggestions welcome.

THE FOLK RESEARCH CENTRE
PLAS WICHACH FOLKLO
SAINT LUCIA
CALL FOR PAPERS
2ND ST.LUCIA STUDIES CONFERENCE
"THE THEATRE OF ST. LUCIAN SOCIETY: FOLK TRADITION TO MODERN STAGE"
CASTRIES, SAINT LUCIA
WEDNESDAY APRIL 6TH - 8TH 2005

Submissions are invited from persons with an interest in St. Lucian
theatre, its traditions, dramatists and development. Conference
presentations will be 20 minutes long with 20 minutes for discussion.
Submissions should include:

  • A cover sheet containing the title of the paper, the author's (or authors') address (e mail/fax no.), institution, and a 25-word summary suitable for publication in the Conference programme

  • One page with a 250-word abstract of the paper

  • One page with a 50-word biography of the author or authors.

Send submissions to:
Chairman
St. Lucia Studies Conference 2005
Folk Research Centre
P.O.Box 514, Castries, Saint Lucia, West Indies.
E-mail: frc@candw.lc                Fax: 758 451 9365


Submission deadlines:   Abstracts:  February 18th 2005
                        Full Papers: March 18th 2005