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Demerara Gold begins five-day theatrical tour today
Ingrid Griffith (second from right) in the presence of collaborators of Demerara Gold, from right Gem
Madhoo-Nascimento of GEMS Theatre Production, Esther Hamers and argaret Lawrence of NSTAD.
Making its debut presentation in Guyana is the critically acclaimed off-Broadway production, Demerara Gold, with performances reaching Linden, New Amsterdam and Georgetown over the next five days.
The play is written, produced and performed by Ingrid Griffith who at a media conference, yesterday, explained that the production aims to capture the reality of Guyanese migrants in the US.
Griffith herself is a Guyanese migrant to the States where she is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama (NSTAD) and GEMS Theatre Production, to put on the show in her native land.
Presentations of Demerara Gold will be hosted for school children at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School, Lichas Hall, in Linden and the National Cultural Centre. In addition to school performances the general public is invited to view the play, at the National Cultural Centre and Theatre Guild on January 17 and January 18, respectively.
Demerara Gold tells the story of seven-year-old Ingrid, whose life changes after her parents leave her and her older sister, Dawn, with two grandmothers in Guyana, to pursue a life in America. In her teenage years, Ingrid manages to migrate to America to reunite with her parents, but learns that she gets more than she bargained for in the new land.
At the press junket, Griffith elaborated that the journey of Demerara Gold is one of change and adjusting to an unfamiliar environment; dealing with issues like isolation, culture shock, family and coming of age as a Guyanese immigrant in the States.
Demerara Gold has received immense praise for the realism with which Griffith approaches her craft, with her most recent performance in Richmond Hill (also known as ‘Little Guyana’), Queens, New York, receiving remarks like “Yes now that’s a real Guyanese style.”
More impressively, Griffith has been praised for her solo performance of all 18 characters displayed on the stage, with observers in New York calling her the Guyanese Whoopi Goldberg.
When asked why she chose to be the only actor in the play, Griffith answered that she simply wanted to explore and showcase her range as a performer on stage. She remarked that it was also the “most difficult” part of Demerara Gold, as she hopes that it comes off as authentic and true to the experience.
“(Performing all these roles) also helped me to understand what my family, and people like my family went through, and to be empathetic with each character,” said Griffith, “I found a deeper appreciation of what it is to be Guyanese”.
Also set to have its premiere performance at the National Cultural Centre the same night as Demerara Gold is Pandora’s Box, a production by the National Theatre Arts Company.
Executive member of NSTAD, Al Creighton, explained at the press junket that Pandora’s Box is meant to demonstrate the wide range of talent, experimentation and emotions that NSTAD is capable of producing.
“NSTAD is aiming to be part of a wider education initiative in the dramatic arts,” said Creighton with Saturday’s performance beginning the company’s first step in a broader theatrical vision.
Ticket for Demerara Gold and Pandora are available at the National Cultural Centre, Theatre Guild and Oasis Café, with prices starting from $500 for schools and $1000-$2500 for the general public.
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