Ti-Jean and His Brothers 2019 Programme

Ti-Jean Productions presents

Written by Derek Walcott Music by André Tanker Directed by Wendell Manwarren MUSICAL DIRECTOR Dean Williams CHOREOGRAPHER Abeo Jackson COSTUME DESIGNER Sarah Jones Woodham SET DESIGNER Sean Leonard LIGHTING DESIGNER Celia Wells SOUND DESIGNER Wendell Manwarren FEATURING Renaldo ‘Red’ Frederick Arnold Goindhan Cecilia Salazar Nafilia McIntyre Samara Lallo Roland ‘Remy’ Yearwood Nickose Layne Ayrïd Chandler Karian Forde Shermarke Thomas Abeo Jackson Jelae Stroude Mitchell Harmony Farell Trevorn Cudjoe Trevon Scott and Ateion Jones

“If you look in the moon, Though no moon is there tonight, You will see a man, no, a boy…

That is Ti-Jean the hunter...

Because he beat the devil, God put him in that height To be the sun’s right hand And light the evil dark…”

- DEREK WALCOTT

Derek Walcott on Moon Child

(Ti-Jean & His Brothers In Concert) The American Academy in Rome, Villa Aurelia, Largo di Porta San Pancrazio, 1, 4th April, 2011) Ti-Jean as recorded by Karl Kirchwey

“I first heard the Ti-Jean story more than sixty years ago when I was at St Mary’s College in St Lucia, and in its form it is both a fable and a joke, with the usual fable of folktale’s architecture based on sets of three. In this case, the Devil is dealing with three brothers and the story defines three qualities of anger. The oldest brother, Gros -Jean, depends on brute strength; the middle brother Mi-Jean depends on phony intellectualism; and

the little brother, Ti-Jean, represents innocence, defiance and common sense. These three brothers make a bet with the Devil that no one will lose his temper, with the usual dire consequences to the brothers if the bet is lost. The joke depends on the answer to the question, ‘Are you angry?’ And the response would be, in English, ‘No, I’m not angry; I’m furious’. In this case, there are three stages of anger, described by Creole words: fâcheux (i.e.annoyed or vexed) , enragé (i.e enraged) and désolé (i.e. desolated, consumes; there is no real English equivalent for this word). The contest between the Devil and the three brothers furthermore has a racial dimension: the Devil is white (he is the Planter) and the brothers, the people, are black.

But the true poignancy of this fable is that the Devil actually longs to feel ordinary human emotions, like joy, or sorrow - or anger.”

“A second source for the Ti-Jean story was in my own family. My twin brother and I used to visit an old aunt in Morne Doudon, on St Lucia, and she told us stories and sang songs to us. In fact, one of her songs - a song of the character Bolom - is in my new play, as is much of the folk mythology of St Lucia, the werewolf loup-garou, the frog (a bass player), the cricket ( calypso singer) and the bird (a chanteuse). In fact, Ti-Jean is a folk hero in other places besides St Lucia (in Haiti, for example, and in Canada); but in my case I have been living with this mythic material for my whole life, and it has been the source of many plays for me, and for my brother, who was also a playwright.”

“The mythology of St Lucia is mixed-up, a mélange. For example, on Boxing Day ( the day

after Christmas), there is usually an enactment of a Black Mass, as people use the X of a public crossroads as their stage. There they enact the mixed-up drama in which Lucifer tries to enlist ‘molasses devils’, imps with red dots on them, to rebel with them against Papa Diable, who always has a trident, Papa Diable kills Lucifer with his trident, but then brings him back to life, as African and Christian mythology (St Lucia is a predominantly Catholic country) seem to combine.

The crowd, the people, participate in everything, with drumming and fifes and their own responses to Papa Diable’s incantations.”

“I regard my new play Moon-Child (Ti-Jean in Concert) as substantially the same work as my 1958 play Ti-Jean and His Brothers - which, incidentally, was the first play other than Shakespeare, presented by Joseph Papp in New York City’s Central Park. But in the case of the new play, I decided to use fixed patterns of meter and rhyme. I also prized the opportunity to work with St Lucian composer Ronald ‘Boo’ Hinkson, with whom I have shared a sense of melody and rhythm.

In fact, with ‘Boo’ I have been able to find a parallel in music for my own ideas of poetry, a rhythm of Creole language matched by the rhythm of music, always with an emphasis on the accessibility of the poetry. And to the fusion of music and poetry, I would add the third dimension provided by Wendell Manwarren’s acting, which is very Trinidadian, very Caribbean. ‘Boo’ had never stretched himself to do theatre before, but we are two St Lucians trying to bring a contemporary resonance to our island’s mythology. For me, the happiest thing about the play is its authenticity of feeling.”

DIRECTOR’S NOTES WENDELL MANWARREN

“We will meet again Ti-Jean, you and your new brother.

The features will change but the fight is still on.”

It is an absolute honour and a privilege to have the opportunity to direct Ti-Jean and His Brothers this time around. Having played the Devil/Old Man/ Planter in the 1995 production directed by the late John Isaacs, and copped the Cacique Award for Best actor 1995, I quit acting altogether. Or so I thought. But Mr Walcott had other ideas. He made it his business to keep me busy over the years as we continued to explore the play and especially the character of the Devil. We worked on countless workshops and scenes and film treatments which eventually resulted in a production of Moon Child at the American Academy in Rome and The Lakeside Theatre at the University of Essex in 2011.

In hindsight, this is a project for which I have been preparing for the last 24 years of my life and, ironically, having been tasked with the challenge of directing it, it feels like starting all over again.

Fortunately, in preparing for this project, I had ample time and opportunity to immerse myself in the words of the master himself. In two different interviews he had with Edward Hirsch in the Paris Review (1977 and 1986), he gave some very candid and clear insights into his work and his process and this formed the basis of my investigation of this new Ti-Jean. Three elements stood out for me and provide the key to unlocking this new production: Style, Language and Tradition.

Style

“I come from a place that likes grandeur; it likes large gestures; it is not inhibited by flourish; it is a rhetorical society; it is a society of physical performance; it is a society of style.

The highest form of style is rhetoric, as it is in speech and performance. It isn’t a modest society. A performer in

the Caribbean has to perform with the right flourish… Modesty is not possible in performance in the Caribbean - and that’s wonderful.”

an old familiar story, a fantastical Caribbean folk story in rhythm and rhyme, part verse, part prose, part classic, part creole but altogether, Our Story.

Language

Our Ti-Jean is set ‘here and now’, in an urban cockpit of multiple levels, suggesting domains and dominions - an arena, or gayelle, where the action is played out and the people gather at the crossroads and take in and take part in the action. Our mission is to play hard and play true; play up the rhythm, play up the “scansion”, play up the physicalization, play up the storytelling, play up the Magic, play up the action and present a Ti-Jean for a new Generation.

“The English language is nobody’s special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.”

“In the plays I have tried to articulate the rude speech of the people I was writing about. There are many passages that move away from what could possibly be said by a St. Lucian fisherman or charcoal burner, but what I have tried to do is combine my own individual poetic sensibility with the strength of the root.”

Tradition

“I have always locked on to the fact that there is a living tradition around me, a tradition of chanting, of oral tradition in terms of storytelling and the enjoyment of rhetoric.”

“The storyteller tradition is still very prevalent in the Caribbean. The chant, the response, and the dance are immediate things to me; they are not anachronistic or literary.”

“In a sense my plays are large poems that are performed before an audience.

I hope to have the same roar of response or roar of disapproval that the Calypsonian receives.”

Based on these quotes by Walcott, the way forward is very clear as we prepare to present a Ti-Jean for the times, a 21st century retelling of a Caribbean classic fable/folk story, fraught with socio-political commentary, comedy, suspense, drama, action/ adventure, and even a bit of horror thrown in for good measure. This is not a new story; in fact, it is

I should very much like to take the opportunity to express my absolute gratitude to both Lizzie and Anna and the rest of the Walcott Festival Committee for placing their trust in me. Thanks as well to the hard working creative and production team who have so graciously accepted the challenge to make the Magic come alive and last but not least a very special thank you to the cast who have been working hard and challenging themselves to make this production truly special.

Needless to say this is a piece that is very dear to my heart and it is with the utmost gratitude to Mr Derek Alton Walcott for all the opportunities afforded me over the years, that I intend to present it in the spirit of the Master himself with the requisite grandeur and flourish and the utmost respect for the “scansion” and the tradition of chanting and singing and dancing and storytelling that this epic, magical, Caribbean creole, classic demands and deserves.

THE STORYTELLERS

FROG, BIRD, CRICKET, FIREFLY.

“Eat and eat one another, it’s another day. Ha, Ha, Wah , Wah!” Arnold Goindhan - FROG

Arnold Goindhan was born in Trinidad at the Port-of Spain General hospital and grew up in Malick. As a boy, Arnold sang in his church choir and therein lies the beginning. In Secondary School he joined a group called Black Lyrix singing a genre of music called Rapso. The group eventually went on to record with the Rituals Label in 1996. It was through Black Lyrix that Arnolds’ career as an actor began. He created the role ‘Indian’ in Clear Water by Christopher Rodrigues in 1998 and it was after this production that acting became a large part of his life.

Over the period 1998 to 2011 he won four Cacique Awards the highest honor an actor can receive in Trinidad & Tobago. His list of awards include two Best Actor, one Best Supporting Actor and a special award for the Most Outstanding Upcoming Actor.

Cecilia Salazar - BIRD

Cecilia Salazar is one of the leading actresses in Trinidad & Tobago today and holds a BA in theatre from Brock University, Ontario, Canada. She has graced the stage in many iconographic roles such as MISS Miles, The Woman of the World, by Tony Hall; Lizzie in Mary Could Dance (Richard Ragoobarsingh), Cleotilda in Earl Lovelace’s The Dragon Can’t Dance, Isabella in The Joker of Seville, Bolom in Ti-Jean & his Brothers. She has performed in New York, Connecticut, Boston, Berlin, Hamburg, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, St. Croix. Cecilia is the recipient of 9 Caciques Awards for Excellence in Theatre in Trinidad and Tobago, 5 for Best Actress & 4 for Best Supporting Actress.

“It is thrilling to return to this classic folk tale some 20 years later with a fresh perspective. Having rolled on the ground as a ‘Bolom’ I am now experiencing the play from a ‘Bird’s’ eye view as a Storyteller in this new place and time.

It is magical!”

Nafilia McIntyre - CRICKET

After completing a Bachelor’s degree in the Performing Arts at The University of Trinidad and Tobago in 2018 , Nafilia took part in a selection of school productions including; The Odyssey and Playboy of the West Indies, as well as the professional productions of Khona: The Musical, as well as Moon On A Rainbow Shawl.

“I am extremely excited to be a part of this cast. Not only because I am able to embody an exciting and daring character such as Cricket but also because I have to push myself with regards to my physicality and characterization/ personification and basically making this character my own while working alongside a few veterans and soaking up as much as I can from them.”

Samara Lallo - FIREFLY

Since beginning her professional career in 2008, Samara Lallo has appeared in many films and television commercials, as well as a number of theatre productions including Escape from Babylon, Bazodee and Play the Devil.

Samara is an honors graduate of The University of the West Indies, where she gained a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts. She has trained extensively under the tutelage of Louis McWilliams, Helen Camps, Kirk Baltz, Raphael Noble and play back theatre with Arts-in-Action. When not in front the camera Samara voices commercials, freelances as a production assistant and manages noob acting class.

“I feel honored and privileged to be a part of this production of Ti-Jean. Being so relevant today in metaphors that translate to our realities, it makes one question prophecies in the Caribbean perspective in a light, fun way.”

THE FAMILY GROS-JEAN, MI-JEAN, TI-JEAN, MOTHER.

“Well one time it had a mother, that mother had three sons…”

Roland ‘RemBunction’ Yearwood - GROS-JEAN

Nickose Layne - MI-JEAN

“Ti-Jean and his brothers is an iconic play by an iconic poet/playwright. It is couched in Caribbean fables and mythology, but nuanced with socio-political commentary that touches on human rights issues, our flawed human existence, mental slavery, social hierarchy, race relations and religious ideology. The story wicked, the songs wicked (salute Tanker)... and I am fearless to embody the mighty Gros-Jean, in this beloved piece. Why? Because I have an arm of iron and have nothing I ‘fraid!”

“It is an honour to portray the character, Mi-Jean in this production. The creative space provided by the director and cast has emboldened me to develop new tools for my artistic arsenal.”

Roland Yearwood aka Remy/RemBunction, has been a mainstay on the cultural landscape in Trinidad and Tobago for over 20 years in various capacities. He is an accomplished producer, director, actor, animator, graphic artist, cartoonist, singer, songwriter, puppeteer, videographer and editor with several Caribbean music video awards under his belt. Remy’s creative portfolio reflects a range of diverse cultural influences both at home and abroad. He is a contemporary calypso artist who blends the sounds of traditional calypso and soca with numerous other genres.

Ateion Jones - TI-JEAN

A graduate of Success Laventille Secondary School, Ateion grew up nearby in Block 22. The 23-year-old spends his days pursuing a degree in Theatre Arts at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, while working at a pizza franchise in Port of Spain. His passion has always been the theatre, even as a young boy training with The Lilliput Childrens’ Theatre. His latest performance was as a dancer in the 3canal Show in 2019.

“It is a great honor to play the title role in this classic story as the history behind this play is so big. I have put so much into this not knowing what I was looking for and yet I found myself in the lines. Ti-Jean and His Brothers, is a story I think everyone should read, it is powerful with amazing rhymes, characters and visions.”

This is the professional debut for Nickose Layne within the Trinidad and Tobago theatre industry. He is a final year student at The University of the West Indies, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre Arts with a minor in Cultural Studies. As the first recipient of Guyana’s National Youth Award for Excellence in Performing Arts and Culture, Nickose has received accolades in acting, directing and writing. His introduction to the play, Ti-Jean and His Brothers, was at a young age but it wasn’t until adulthood when he revisited and finally understood the text, he then experienced a profound connection to the work.

In 2016 he played the role of Ti-Jean with the National Drama Company of Guyana. For him, it is the quintessential story of the Afro-West Indian hero’s journey. It tells the fanciful tale of a shared struggle and prophesies a forthcoming victory.

Ayrïd Chandler - MOTHER

Ayrïd Chandler is a graphic designer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree cum laude (B.F.A.) in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, where she participated in the university’s production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues from 2009-2012. In 2018, Ayrïd co-produced a local production of The Vagina Monologues. Ti-Jean and His Brothers is Ayrïd’s professional theatrical debut. She always had an interest in acting, especially in secondary school as an HNC Thespian under the guidance of the late Mairoon Ali, who last played the role of Mother in the 1995 Ti-Jean production. Being a part of this Ti-Jean cast is a welcome challenge and change from the ordinary.

“I enjoy bringing a new perspective to the role of “Mother” and believe portraying a strong matriarch as opposed to the traditional, ‘long suffering’ mother is important in this adaptation of the play. As designer, I’m happy to have created the promotional artwork for the production in which I’m stepping out of my niche and making my stage debut.”

THE BOLOM, THE GOAT, THE DEVIL/OLD MAN/ PLANTER.

“Bai Diable-là mange un ‘ti mamaille, un, deux, trois, ti mamaille.

Give the Devil a child for dinner, one, two, three, little children.”

Karian Forde BOLOM

Shermarke Thomas GOAT/CACARAT

“In this presentation of “TiJean”, I play the Bolom.

I do believe this will be the most challenging character I’ve ever embodied. I mean, I’m an unborn foetus! I know we have talking birds and frogs in this play but it’s been a challenge getting to relate. Nevertheless, it’s a challenge I’m up for!

I can’t translate the excitement I have to see this story come to life!”

“I have lived all of my life in [Laventille] and my mission is to show everyone that I can make it my way. Ti-Jean and His Brothers is a story close to mine, because my mother has three sons, who left in the same order as Ti-Jean and His Brothers. The Devil (The System) has already eaten up one of us. One is alright and the other (Me) kinda stable but fighting. Because no one has taught us how to deal with The Devil (Life). The struggles the brothers go through represent the struggles we all have to face in this life.”

Actor, dancer and show-singer, Karian graduated as a member of the inaugural acting class of the Academy of Performing Arts at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Since graduating she has been involved with several productions by the Proscenium Theatre Company, including the role of Rosa in Errol John’s Moon On A Rainbow Shawl and is currently a performing member of the 3canal company. Although she was introduced to the work while studying at APA, she has never seen a fully mounted production of Ti-Jean and His Brothers.

As a young boy Shermarke was determined to either join the military or “become a movie actor”.

As a teen-ager he was introduced to dance, theatre and singing with the Tallman Foundation; and for the past eight years he has been performing with 3canal as part of the Black Box Crew, and considers Wendell Manwarren a mentor.

Renaldo ‘RED’ Frederick DEVIL / OLD MAN / PLANTER

Celebrating ten years as a professional, full-time actor is no small feat, and Renaldo ‘Red’ Frederick is making the most of it as the iconic Devil/Planter/Old Man of the Forest in Ti-Jean and His Brothers. After graduating from High School, he won a scholarship to attend the Trinidad Theatre Workshop. He then went on to gain a BA in Film Production with a Minor in Theatre Arts at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine. He is currently enrolled in the Master’s Degree programme at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

“It was our final showcase at Theatre Workshop.

We had three plays to choose from and I was the only one who voted to do Ti-Jean. We then had to sell the idea of why our choices would be best for showcase. I was most successful. The beauty in my success in that, ironically, came through my love for the language in the piece. The constant pull-n-tug and manipulation of words. Since then I’ve always seen excerpts and yearned to have a part in the full production whenever it ran. In 2016 I missed that chance because I was involved in something else.

Having gotten this opportunity now, I intend to do justice to the piece in every way possible.”

THE CHORUS

Jélae Stroude-Mitchell CHORUS

Jélae Stroude-Mitchell is an all round performance artist who began her formative training in Caribbean Folk, Modern and Contemporary dance with the Les Effants Dance Company and Arawaks Dance Group respectively. She is a past graduate of the University of Trinidad and Tobago with a BFA in Dance, she also gained a certification in the classical Indian dance art form known as Kathak. She has recently started her journey as a singer in the musical genre of Rapso and has also presented choreographed works at Coco Dance Festival as well as assistant choreographer for 3canal Carnival Shows.

“Working on Ti-Jean and His Brothers has been a humbling experience from start to finish.The story by itself is very relatable and can adapt easily to what’s going on in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension the world in which we live today! It’s honestly an honor to be a part of this production!”

Abeo Jackson CHORUS & CHOREOGRAPHER

Abeo Jackson is a multi-disciplined artist from Trinidad and Tobago. She is a Writer, Actor, Dancer, Choreographer, Radio and Television Host, Acting Coach, Creative Producer as well as a Theatre Producer. She is an Acting for Film Master’s Graduate with Distinction, of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London. She is also a Theatre and Dance honors graduate of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Abeo is a recipient of the Coco Dance Festival 2016 Maverick Award.

She has choreographed 7 full musical productions over the last 10 years, The Sound of Music, The King and I, Jesus Christ Superstar and Mahalia, A Gospel Musical to name a few. This will be her first foray into the world of Walcott.

“This Ti-Jean will be saucy, fun, contemporary and raw in its movement and shape.”

Trevon Scott - CHORUS/FILAMBO

An acting student from south Trinidad, Trevorn is currently studying acting at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. He has worked on several productions including Earl Lovelace’s the Wine of Astonishment and Cyclops.

“Working on this production of TiJean has really given me a sense of self and who we are as a people, being Trinidadian. It has helped me to open my mind to new creatives and ideas and to believe in my abilities as an actor. My take away from this entire production would be “trust the process” and to remember that every cast-mate is important.”

Harmony Farrell CHORUS

“Some days I am a performer, some days a poet and other days an aspiring journalist, educator, researcher of the Arts and Culture. And yes, my name is really Harmony.”

A stellar debut as a soprano with the Presentation College Mixed Choir marked Harmony’s introduction into musical theatre, where she starred in musicals including The Wiz and The Music Man. After Secondary School, she studied Theatre and Creative Writing at the Guilford School of Acting where she gained a Bachelor’s Degree.

“I’m now back home, and inexpressibly excited to be building on Walcott’s legacy. I see this as a play that unpacks some of the fundamental elements of a post-colonial Caribbean existence; elements that have been reshaped by the influence of modernisation, but still retain the core social phenomena (bacchanal) that’s dramatized in Ti-Jean and His Brothers.”

Trevorn Cudjoe - CHORUS/AZZAZ

Trevorn has studied music at the University of Trinidad and Tobago and The University of the West Indies where he majored in Steel Pan. At UWI, Trevorn began performing with Must Come See Productions. This is where his love for dance was reignited. He then went on to study ballet at the Caribbean School of Dance where he attained a distinction in the Royal Academy of Dance Grade 5 Ballet exam. He continued his studies in dance at The University of the West Indies and has since performed with numerous production companies such as First Instinct Productions, Metamorphosis Dance Company, Astor Johnson Repertory Dance Theatre, Abeo Jackson Productions and 3canal Black Box Crew to name a few. His passion and love for Musical Theatre and the stage continues to expand and he continues to grow and build on his craft.

ACT 1 PROLOGUE Full Cast Song - Who Make the Devil Cry? The Animals tell the story of the boy in the moon named Ti-Jean, who beat the Devil and make him cry.

Tall Forest Gros-Jean & the Animals Gros-Jean & the Old Man Plantation/Estate Gros-Jean & the Planter Gros-Jean gets angry Angry Devil’s Chant Bai Diable-là manger un ‘ti mamaille!

Animals set the story, introduce the family and set up the dilemma…

Bolom issues the Devil’s challenge to a mother with three sons Gros-Jean, Mi-Jean and Ti-Jean.

If any of your sons can make him feel anger, rage or human weakness, He will reward them, they will never more know hunger but fulfillment, wealth, peace…But if any of your sons fails to give him these feelings, then his flesh shall be eaten…

Bolom Song - Oh Me Want to Go Over Devil’s Chant Bai Diable-là manger un ‘ti mamaille!

Un, deux, trois ti mamaille!

SCENE 1 Dawn Mother’s House Gros-Jean leaves home Gros-Jean & Mother Gros-Jean Song - There’s a Time for Everyman

Un!

SCENE 2 Dawn Tall Forest Mi-Jean & Animals Mi-Jean & Papa Bois Mi-Jean Songs - If I was a White Man & Song of Silence Plantation/Estate Mi-Jean & Planter & Goat Mi-Jean gets vex Angry Devil’s Chant Bai Diable-là manger un ‘ti mamaille!

Un, deux!

INTERVAL

ACT 2 SCENE 3 Dawn Tall Forest The Devil dressed as Old man and his hoard of Devils celebrate, in anticipation of meeting/eating the last brother Ti-Jean.

Devil’s Chants Bai Diable-là manger un ‘ti mamaille!

Un, deux, trois ti mamaille!

Feed the devil the third!

Papa Bois What yuh Cook Today?

Petit con Petit, tra la la!

Mother’s Hut Mother & Ti-Jean Song - The Last of my Chickens Ti-Jean Leaves home Ti-Jean Song - Bring Down Goliath Tall Forest Ti-Jean & Animals Animals Song - Moon Child Ti-Jean & Old Man Ti-Jean meets the Devil early Plantation/Estate Ti-Jean & Planter & Goat Planter Song - Ass of a Goat

Ti-Jean & Labourers Ti-Jean Song - Burn The Cane The Devil returns DRUNK Devil Song - Fire One Devil/Old Man & Animals Devil/Planter & Ti-Jean The Devil gets vexed Ti-Jean & The Devil & Mother & Bolom & Devils Mother Song - Please Have Mercy on my Son Lord Ti-Jean & Animals & Chorus Song - The Door of Breath Devil & Cohorts Devil Song - Ask of Me What You Want Bolom Song - I Am Born I Shall Die Ti-Jean & new Brother & Animals Ti-Jean Song - Bring Down Goliath Animals Creek, Crack

Finale Full Cast Song - Who Make the Devil Cry?

Creative Team

Sean Leonard, SET DESIGN Ayrïd Chandler, GRAPHIC DESIGN Abeo Jackson, CHOREOGRAPHY Sarah Jones Woodham, COSTUME DESIGN Dean Williams, MUSICAL DIRECTOR

(MISSING) Celia Wells, LIGHT DESIGN Marcus Sammy, SOUND ENGINEER Wendell Manwarren, SOUND DESIGN Abigail Hadeed, PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHER

Musicians

Simon Mendoza, KEYBOARDS Dean Williams, GUITAR Jayron Remy, SEQUENCERS & PERCUSSION Everald “Redman” Watson, DJEMBE & EFXS

Stage Management Crew

Randy Stanley, PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Paula Linda, ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Mogabi Thomas, STAGE CREW

Walcott Festival Committee

FRONT: Anna Walcott-Hardy Geoffery MacLean Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw Yvonne Webber

BACK: Martin Mouttet Roger Roberts Wendell Manwarren Sean Hinkson Colvin Chen

MESSAGE FROM THE PRODUCERS In Paint & In Words...

The holy triad of poetry into lyric, dramatic and epic verse reaches all the way back into the days of Ancient Greece and reflects the inherent diversity of Derek Walcott’s innovation.

Among contemporary poets, Karl Kirchwey believes that Derek Walcott has “distinguished himself in all three genres: lyric, epitomized by White Egrets (2010); epic or narrative, as embodied in the classic poem Omeros; (1990) but also in book-length poems such as Tiepolo’s Hound (2000) ...and more unusually, in a significant body of plays in verse and prose.” Pair this with an obsession with painting, particularly Watercolour, and an undeniable passion for music.

Whether influenced by his upbringing in St Lucia by his mother Teacher Alix, a headmistress at the Methodist school, widower and amateur actress;

an absent father, Warwick, also an amateur poet and painter; a gifted twin-brother Roderick; a friend, painter Dunstan St Omer, with whom he pledged never to leave home until he had captured “every inch of his island in paint and in words”; Walcott developed a multi-layered, heavily-disciplined, creative process.

Our house woke early, often before sunrise, and as a child I remember the rhythmical clacking of the Olivetti; he typed quickly, with two fingers, then transitioned to writing with a sharpie on those yellow sketch pads, to drawing or painting and then finally reading. But the day always began with those elegantly handwritten lists.

As a young girl the best part of my day was the evening trips to the Little Carib Theatre. And if there was music at rehearsals- André Tanker, Andre Beddeau, or Galt MacDermott - well then Christmas had come early. My mother Margaret was at the core - advisor, manager, editor, executive producer and administrator, as well as the calm homemaker and caretaker to many. And we are grateful to the Management and Board of Queen’s Hall for allowing us to stage the play in a place that was very close to her heart.

When I grew older, being taught to paint watercolours with my sister during our holidays in Toco, Blanchisseusse, Crown Point or Cap; and our visits to museums to see works by Lautrec, Cezanne, Freud, Pissarro, Matisse or Vermeer

“When we left the beach the sea was still going on.”- Derek Walcott

were special. The exhilaration of seeing his plays performed, whether in Merida, Spain or at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-on-Avon or the Globe in London, was immeasurable, and only eclipsed by the resonance of performances at home.

In Trinidad, he always wanted to see the latest works by Jackie, organize a reading for one of the latest plays or film scripts with Wendell and have a lunch with friends.

For him the island was a “genetic Babel”, Port of Spain was what Athens may have been “before it became a cultural echo”. He remained inspired by the people, the language and the light - the shadows and tones of landscape.

He often quoted his friend, Nobel Laureate Joseph Brodsky’s analysis that as in the case of Rome and Hellenic Greece, “contrary to popular belief, the outskirts are not where the world ends - they are precisely where it unravels.”

On behalf of my family, my sister Lizzie and I hope that the Walcott Festival’s private collection of paintings, notebooks and special publications featured in April at Medulla Art Gallery and the performance of Ti-Jean and His Brothers, help to bring a new perspective and depth of understanding to the work, but more importantly to our history and ourselves.

ANNA WALCOTT- HARDY

Sponsor’s Remarks “You want to hear my history? Ask the sea.”

- Derek Walcott

In 1992, Derek Alton Walcott, KCSL, OBE, OCC was the first Caribbean writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Nobel Prize Committee described his work as a “poetic oeuvre of great luminosity, sustained by an historical vision, the outcome of a multicultural commitment.”

As a Caribbean financial services institution that has also celebrated many ‘firsts’ over the past twenty-five years, we are pleased to bring greater insight in the poetry, plays and paintings of this Caribbean artist. In his work you will recognize a commitment to contemporary cultural, social and historical perspectives that we continue to face in the Caribbean.

Similarly, the history of our Bank is indelibly linked to that of our country, dating back to the Nineteenth Century, when activists demanded reform and advocated for the working class, and the Trinidad Co-operative Bank opened its doors.

The Walcott Festival will allow students to gain greater insight into their history, as well as the multi-faceted and disciplined process of the award-winning poet.

The contemporary historical, cultural and socio-economic themes that underscore works such as the beloved folkloric play, ‘Ti-Jean and His Brothers’, currently on the CXC curriculum, holds a mirror up to our society. We understand the power of education and the arts to understanding ourselves and our progress and are pleased to play our role.

MS KAREN DARBASIE Group CEO, First Citizens

Sponsor’s Remarks “It is no partisan or excess zeal that prompts me, at every opportunity, to claim Derek Walcott as one of the greatest poets, in any language or culture, of the twentieth century.”

- Wole Soyinka, Writer

Derek Walcott’s plays and poems are beloved by literary enthusiasts the world over - from young readers to Nobel Laureates, from the Americas to Europe.

Although born in St Lucia in 1930, Derek Walcott came to Trinidad and Tobago in 1953 and never really left. He was inspired by its diverse history, multicultural society, stunning landscapes and inherently talented people. He saw Port of Spain as a new world Athens and wrote about these twin islands throughout his life. In Sweden, his illuminating Nobel Prize speech underscored the majesty and historical significance of the Ramleela Celebrations in Felicity Village. In the popular musical Steel for which he collaborated with Galt Mc Dermott (Hair), he examined the origins and impact of the steelpan. Even his last book of poetry, Morning, Paramin (2016) heralded the imagery of the multi-lingual agricultural community in north Trinidad, in response to Peter Doig’s luminescent paintings.

We at The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited have spent decades investing in causes that celebrate our arts and culture, as Walcott has done in his works. Over the years and through various sponsorships, we have connected thousands of young people with opportunities to study and produce local music, dance, theatre and literature, paying tribute along the way to iconic national purveyors of these arts.

Walcott’s literary celebration of Trinidad and Tobago makes him an adopted national treasure, deserving of immortalization in memory. It therefore gives us great pleasure to ensure that hundreds of Secondary School students can enjoy the musical based on his Caribbean folktale, Ti-Jean & His Brothers.

This popular story underscores themes of global warming and post-colonial economic disparity, as well as the power of each generation to make a difference, battle evil and emerge victorious. It’s a coming of age David and Goliath story and Ti-Jean is our Superhero, battling the insecurities, fears and failings that plague every teenager. Walcott holds the mirror so we can see ourselves, and although, as an archipelago of islands may see challenging times, we are inherently curious and innovative, and will emerge even stronger.

Sponsor’s Remarks Dr. the Honourable Nyan Gadbsy-Dolly, Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts is honoured by the opportunity to be part of the celebrated and iconic West Indian production, Ti-Jean & His Brothers. Derek Walcott, the St. Lucian poet and playwright is a West Indian artist in the truest sense of the word. A man of the Caribbean, all of his works reflect the richness of the Caribbean aesthetic and the refinement of the oral tradition.

All of Walcott’s works are masterpieces in their own right; however, Ti-Jean & His Brothers holds a special place in Trinidad and Tobago. This production was not only performed by the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, which Walcott helped establish, but it was musically scored by the late Trinidadian music pioneer, André Tanker.

This literary classic is a rite of passage for all Caribbean literature students.

The play analyses the Afro-Caribbean identity to a depth that should be experienced by all. Derek Walcott’s work is a legacy that constantly needs to be celebrated and remembered and the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts hopes that the younger generation and generations to come will learn and be awe-inspired by Mr. Walcott’s work. The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts congratulates the Walcott Estate and the director, Wendell Manwarren, on an excellent production and initiative.

Derek Alton Walcott

Born in Castries, St Lucia in 1930, Derek Walcott lived in Trinidad for over 20 years and remained dedicated to developing the arts in the region. One of his earliest plays, Drums and Colours (1960) was written to celebrate the West Indian Federation. Another production, Steel (2005), was inspired by the founding of the steel pan movement, and his last published book of poetry, Morning, Paramin (2016) again emphasized his profound admiration and devotion to Trinidad and Tobago.

“This is Port of Spain to me, a city ideal in its commercial and human proportions, where a citizen is a walker and not a pedestrian, and this is how Athens may have been before it became a cultural echo.”

(The Antilles: Fragments of Epic Memory, Nobel Lecture, December 7th, 1992).

In 1992 he became the first Caribbean writer to win the Nobel Prize. The author of seventeen collections of poetry, nine collections of plays, and a book of essays; he also founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. A prolific painter he has exhibited and collaborated on publications with artists Romare Bearden, Francesco Clemente and Peter Doig. He also worked with musicians and composers including André Tanker, Galt McDermott, Boo Hinkson and Paul Simon. He was awarded the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (USA, 1981), Trinity Cross (Trinidad, 1993), The Queen’s Medal for Poetry (England, 1986), and the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry Lifetime Award (Canada, 2015). Walcott died at his sea-side home in Cap Estate, St. Lucia, on 17th March, 2017.

André Tanker

Born on September 29th 1941, André Tanker is one of the most celebrated musicians and composers to emerge from Trinidad and Tobago. His unique style of Caribbean world music is loved by fans locally, regionally and internationally. He is known for hits such as Sayamanda, Ben Lion, Forward Home, Basement Party and lots more. André composed many film and theatrical scores locally and internationally, such as the film BIM in 1973, the play Ti Jean and His Brothers composed in 1970 and 2000 performed all over the world, the film What my Mother Told Me for Channel 4 in the UK in 1994, Playboy of the West Indies at the Lincoln Centre New York in 1993 and Measure for Measure for Shakespeare in Central Park in 1993. André’s music has also been performed at various steel pan festivals and music festivals.

He passed away on February 28th 2003 leaving behind an amazing musical legacy and an extensive body of work still to be produced.

THE DEREK WALCOTT PRIZE FOR POETRY The Derek Walcott Festival in Port-of Spain, Trinidad, and Arrowsmith Press, together with the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre announces the first annual Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry to be awarded to a full-length book of poems by a living poet who is not a US citizen (green card holders welcome) published in the previous calendar year.

In the case of translations, the prize is shared by the poet and the translator.

The book may be in English or in translation and may have been published anywhere in the world.

The prize includes a US $1000 cash award, along with a reading at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, the publication of a limited-edition broadside by Arrowsmith Press, and a week-long residency in either Derek Walcott’s home in St. Lucia or in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

Publishers are invited to enter books published between January 1, 2019, and December 31st, 2019. Submissions must be received by February 15, 2020. There is a $20 submission fee. Two hard copies of the book should be mailed to Arrowsmith Press, 11 Chestnut Street, Medford, MA 02155. The winner will be announced in May, and a reading will be scheduled for October, 2020. Further information on submitting can be found at the

Derek Walcott website: https://www.DerekWalcott. com. and Arrowsmith Press at https://www. arrowsmithpress.com/prizes .

Founded in 1981 at Boston University by Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre is an award-winning professional theatre dedicated to new works. At the core of these programmes is the Playwriting MFA offered in the celebrated English Department in the College of Arts & Sciences and in collaboration with the award-winning School of Theatre in the College of Fine Arts. Alumni playwrights have been produced in regional and New York houses as well as in London’s West End, and their works have garnered national, regional, and Boston awards, including numerous Best New ScriptAwards from the Elliot Norton committee and the Independent Reviewers of New England. BPT’s Season of New Plays employs the best of New England’s professional actors, directors, and designers to bring each playwright’s vision alive. Among the outreach programmes are the Boston Theater Marathon— 50 local theatre companies join us annually for this 10-hour showcase of 50 new ten-minute plays— and New Noises—a five-day festival of short plays written by Massachusetts high school students.

Arrowsmith Press was founded by Askold Melnyczuk in 2006. The press does not accept unsolicited submissions. Its publications include first books by NBCC winners Maureen McLane and George Scialabba, as well as work by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Donald Hall, Thomas Sayers Ellis, Melissa Green, and Oksana Zabuzhko.

SPECIAL THANKS The Management & Board of Queen’s Hall Kate Snodgrass and Ishion Hutchinson Peter Walcott and Sigrid Nama Sean Hinkson Colvin Chen Peter Doig Caryl and Donald ‘Jackie’ Hinkson Meiling Peter Minshall Noble Douglas Judy Raymond Diane Dumas Amy Hackshaw Rebecca Walcott Dylan Hackshaw Emma Walcott-Hardy Bianca Walcott Hardy David Hackshaw Mark Hardy

THE WALCOTT FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: Colvin Chen Sean Hinkson Wendell Manwarren Geoffrey MacLean Martin Mouttet Roger Roberts Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw Anna Walcott-Hardy Yvonne Webber

Andre Bagoo Peter Ray Blood His Excellency John Pilbeam and his wife Yvonne Webber of the Australian High Commission (AHC) Lisa Griffith of the AHC Karen Darbasie Sterling Frost Dexter Charles Fayola Denoon Trudy Louison,and Kadeem Charles of First Citizens Mark Loquan and Lisa Burkett of The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Dianne and Jane Chan of Kapok Hotel Derek Hudson, Candice Clarke Salloum and KelliAnn Patel of Shell Colin Bain and Indu Sharma of Methanex Harrilal Seecharan, Janelle Jeffrey-Joseph and Reita Antoine of the Ministry of Education Joan Dayal and Kathryn Martins of Paper Based Bookshop Christian Mouttet and Simon Hardy of Prestige Holdings

LEADING SPONSORS : The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited First Citizens Australian High Commission LJ Williams SPONSORS: Kapok Hotel NH International (Caribbean) Limited

Shell The Massy Foundation Beacon Insurance Prestige Holdings The French Embassy The Chilean Embassy Ansa Mc AL PowerGen Methanex Atlantic LNG (ALNG) 103 FM

The French Embassy Paul Williams of LJ Williams Ltd. The Chilean Embassy Teresa White, Sharon Balroop and Natasha Ramnath of Ansa Mc AL Geoffrey MacLean and Martin Mouttet of Medulla Art Gallery Wendell Manwarren & Roger Roberts of Big Black Box Charlotte Elias of NH International (Caribbean) Limited NALIS Hodder Education Chee Mooke Bakery 103 fm Abigail Hadeed Emily Aboud Ayrïd Chandler Sherron Walker Harford Scott Hamilton

PARTNERSHIPS : The Big Black Box Medulla Art Gallery SPECIAL ADVISORS: Peter Doig Diane Dumas Donald ‘Jackie’ Hinkson Noble Douglas

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PRINTED BY Scrip-J PHOTOGRAPHY Abigail Hadeed Danielle Devaux Mark Hardy

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Written by Derek Walcott Music by André Tanker Directed by Wendell Manwarren Musical Director - Dean Williams Choreographer - Abeo Jackson Costume Designer - Sarah Jones Woodham Set Designer - Sean Leonard Lighting Designer - Celia Wells Sound Designer - Wendell Manwarren Sound Engineer - Marcus Sammy Make Up - Kimmi Stoute Robinson + David Williams Voice Coach - Roger Roberts Speech Coach - Elisha Bartels Production Stage Manager - Randy Stanley ASM - Paula Lindo Stage Hand - Mogabi Thomas Props Master - Stanton Kewley Graphic Designer - Ayrïd Chandler Production Photographer - Abigail Hadeed Production Intern - Emily Aboud Web Master - Rebecca Walcott Produced By Anna Walcott-Hardy & Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw for Ti-Jean Productions Limited

The Walcott Estate: walcott.estate@gmail.com www.derekwalcott.com Derek Alton Walcott @tijeanandhisbrothers

PUBLISHED BY TI-JEAN PRODUCTIONS

Copyright Š 2019 The Walcott Estate. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the estate/publisher.