'Maria Antonia' a world of mythical Afro-Cuban culture

 

 

 

 

Story Updated: Mar 31, 2013


LEAD ROLE: Syntyche Bishop in the title role, Maria Antonia.

The Department of Creative & Festival Arts (DCFA) of The University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine will from April 4 invite lovers of the theatre and the public in general to enter a dark and exotic world; a place where shadowy dangerous characters live; an island within an island from which one will never be able to leave. This is the world of Maria Antonia, a play being staged at the Little Carib Theatre from April 4 to 7 and again from the 12 to 14. The weekday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. while the Sunday shows are at 6 p.m.

As part of the requirements for the BA in Theatre Arts, Production II students of the DCFA are brought together as a company to perform in and produce a full-length play. Marvin George, part-time lecturer and co-lecturer for the course Production II and Assistant Director for the production explained that they are working under the direction of Cuban dance lecturer, Dr Jorge Morejón who has translated the play and adapted it to suit the students.

"We are very fortunate to have Dr Jorge Morejón who is a Cuban-American dance lecturer at our department working on the production as both translator and director. Under his guidance Maria Antonia, the 1967 Cuban classic written by Eugenio Hernandez Espinosa will truly be brought to life," George said.

Maria Antonia is the tragic story of an Afro-Cuban woman who defies the men, women, and traditions of her community in search of who she is and in pursuit of the meaning of her life. Through her trysts with men, her defiance of religion, and her thirst for change, Antonia presents the struggles of a post-revolutionary Cuba - one where women are forced to re-evaluate their roles in society. It employs Afro-Cuban culture — for example Santeria, a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin; and rumba dance —as part of its aesthetic. The play, therefore, presents itself as an opportunity, not simply for the teaching and honing of necessary skills in theatre, but for students to be exposed to Cuban culture and familiarise themselves with the history of the Caribbean region.

Tafar Lewis and Syntyche Bishop will share the title role of Maria Antonia, with a supporting cast that includes Robert Noel, Kareem Durity, Ketisha Williams, Daniella Johnson, Dernelle Smith, Merlisia McIntosh, Khadein Benn, Lequacia De Suze, Jarell Akini Alder, Adam Pascall, Lalonde Jay Ochoa, Marvin Dowridge, Ion-Iee Farmer, Marcus Waldron, Shanice James, Simeon Chris Moodoo, Kirsten Shade, Candace Sturge Dunbar, Gabrielle Jade Le Gendre, Alana Ash and Ruzanne Gustave.

Morejón's artistic versatility has been nourished by two decades of theatre, opera, dance and performance-art experiences. He has participated in over 40 productions with Prometeo Theatre, Telemundo, Creation Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Miami, The Greater Miami Opera, Brazarte and his own company Thelos Theatre. Most notably, he has appeared in The Maids and Sleepless City. In Toronto Canada he performed Mirrored Spaces in 2008.

In California he performed in Divide Light: A New Opera, at the Montalvo Arts Center, The Ten PM Dream and The Elephant's Graveyard with Sideshow Physical Theatre at The Sacramento Theater Company, and The Winter's Tale and Hinterland with UC Davis Theatre and Dance Department at the Mondavi Center. He has a PhD in Performance Studies, with a designated emphasis in Practice as Research, from the University of California, Davis. Currently, he is a lecturer at The University of the West Indies, Department of Creative and Festival Arts, Trinidad and Tobago.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sunday-mix/_Maria_Antonia__a_world_of_mythical_Afro-Cuban_culture_-200821221.html?m=y&smobile=y

http://repeatingislands.com/2013/04/03/maria-antonia-a-world-of-mythical-afro-cuban-culture/
http://www.news.gov.tt/index.php?news=12533

http://sta.uwi.edu/news/releases/release.asp?id=1062