Members of the Téyat Toutafé cast

The first ever full season of theatre is set to begin in Rodney Bay tomorrow. Over the next three months, the Téyat Toutafé tent will be filled with hilarious yet thought-provoking productions. Tomorrow will be no exception with the opening night musical production Rampanalgas Sunrise.
The theatre season will run straight through to January and includes the staging of eight different productions—six different plays and two musical variety shows.
Apart from multiple ongoing rehearsals, the Téyat members have laboured tirelessly to secure the facilities and equipment necessary to make this project a reality with extremely limited resources.
Thanks to the French Embassy, the group now has a full-sized tent to use as a theatre space. Michael Chastanet has agreed to let the group use a piece of his land in central, while bleacher seating has been made and donated by Caribbean Metals Ltd. M&C Home Depot has donated wooden planks, gravel and sand to prepare the land came from CO Williams; and a sign printed by JE Bergasse and Company Ltd.
Due to resource constraints, theatre members have built the stage and lighting system themselves. But this is all part of the community outreach philosophy which is central to all Téyat work. This is a not-for-profit venture designed to reach out to the St Lucian community and assist primarily with the development of young St Lucians.
Under the guidance and tutelage of Ellen O’Malley Camps, who has 40 years experience in Caribbean theatre, Téyat members are taught about assuming responsibility, making things happen no matter what the obstacles, and to do everything for themselves wherever possible. And in-between they manage to squeeze in a little theatre—the medium through which O’Malley Camps teaches and reaches young people.
Members are then encouraged to use this character development to the benefit of others through Téyat Toutafe’s Outreach Programmes.

Téyat Toutafé’s tent theatre at Rodney bay

Some of the projects already completed or on-stream include: the Wednesday workshop—a theatre training project open to the general public; an Emancipation Workshop facilitated by Téyat members at the Cultural Centre; a theatre enrichment course at Upton Gardens Girls Centre; a personal empowerment, leadership skills and team building training course for Gros Islet youth; and foreign tours to enable young people to experience performing and representing St Lucia.
Two successful tours to the Dublin Theatre Festival, Ireland and Festival Téyat Zabim in Guadeloupe have already been undertaken.
The sheer scale and diversity of the drama productions are also calculated to give the youth a wide forum for looking and dealing with important issues they will face in their day-to-day lives.
For example the opening show, Rampanalgas Sunrise by O’Malley Camps and Roger Israel, was rehearsed over many months and used as a vehicle for teaching movement and voice and will feature many young St Lucians making their stage debuts.
Bent, a moving play by Martin Sherman about the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany, looks at homophobic stereotypes and attitudes and the callousness of prejudice.
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, an award-winning play by Ntozake Shange, looks at the conditions and prejudices many young women of colour face in modern society.
And, finally, Mammyshow Pappyshow: Wha happen to de plan? gets Téyat members involved in actual playwriting.
But as much as anything, Téyat is committed to providing a quality product that the public can come and enjoy at a reasonable cost. Tickets are $20 dollars in advance, children $10 and if you become a Friend of Téyat Toutafe, further discounts and inclusion in Téyat functions are also available.
The full season schedule is as follows: Rampanlagas Sunrise; For Coloured Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf; Couplets; Bent; A Man for All Seasons featuring the music and storytelling of Gene Lawrence; Rhythm So Lucian, fusion music by a new St Lucian band; Donkey Time, a collaborative effort between Beverly Gravinsky and Téyat Toutafe; and Mammyshow Pappyshow: Wha Happen to the Plan.
For further information and tickets, contact teyattoutafe@hotmail.com, or call Lawrence Bain at 450-4977.

Camille Greer returned to St Lucia on Monday evening

St Lucian beauty Camille Greer emerged as winner of the 2002 Miss Caribbean Tourism Pageant, held at Carnival City in St Kitts on Saturday.
First runner-up was Trinidadian Nikeisha Bynoe, while Vanessa John of Anguilla was second runner-up. The third runner-up position went to Mariella Luigo of Puerto Rico.
Greer, an employee of Sandals Halcyon and the reigning Miss St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, also emerged winner of a number of segments: Best Interview and Best Promotional Speech (contestants had to deliver speeches that literally sold or marketed their islands). Other segment winners were: Miss Congeniality—Miss Grenada; Best Evening Wear—Miss Puerto Rico; Best National Costume—Miss Trinidad and Tobago; and Best Swim Wear—Miss St Kitts.
St Lucia has been a regular participant at this pageant which was first held seven years ago, but this is the first time a St Lucian has brought home the crown.
An excited Greer, shared a few comments in her moment of joy on stage, said she was very surprised to win, but that she was pleased with the outcome.
“I thank all those who encouraged me,” she said, “and who helped me at various points along the way.”
During her year-long reign, Greer said she will be readily available to help the St Kitts and Nevis Hotel and Tourism Association (the pageant organisers) in whatever way she could. To her Sandals family, she expressed thanks for their support and excitedly said, “I’ll be back on Monday.”
Executive Director of the St Kitts Hotel and Tourism Association, Val Henry, said he was “delighted” with the high standard of the show and the smooth way in which it flowed. He added: “The girls did their countries proud, they represented themselves well. The audience liked what they saw on stage—lots of talent and intelligence. What I think is important is that the audience, as well as the girls, respected and loved the result, and that is important for any type of competition.”

The launching of a new Kwéyòl dictionary by the Ministry of Education and the Summer Institute of Linguistics International (SIL) is helping to refashion the future, according to permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dr Didicus Jules.
Dr Jules speaking at the recent launch of the dictionary at the Folk Research Centre (FRC), paid particular homage to Dr David Frank of the SIL, who during the early 1980s was intricately involved in developing the orthography of the Kwéyòl language together with members of the FRC.
Dr Jules focused his attention on the historical developments regarding the FRC/SIL relationship, while collaborating on the Kwéyòl language project.
“I want to recall that when David first came to St Lucia, at the point when he came with the Crosby’s and he sat with us at the Folk Research Centre, we were not sober minded, young committed Christians. We were radical, fire breathing black nationalists and we put David and the Crosby’s through their own particular baptism of fire to ask them why a group of white people would want to come and help us, and which one of them here represented the CIA,” Jules said.
Dr Jules complemented Dr Frank and his team for working tirelessly doing the simple things that “all the fire breathing radicals” would never want to touch, but which at the end of the day had laid the foundation for a solid future.
Founding member of the FRC, Monsignor Patrick “Paba” Anthony reiterated the significance of appreciating the beauty of the idiom that is “indigenously and natively ours” carrying its own wealth and power.
According to Msgr Anthony, if one does not appreciate oneself as a person, it is impossible to appreciate the beauty of our language.
The Monsignor indicated that this is the main driving force which keeps them doing research into St Lucian culture, because the culture, he said, is the expression of our humanity, equal with the humanity of anybody, anywhere in the world.
The first Kwéyòl dictionary was published by the late Jones E Mondesir in 1992.

A number of recommendations are to go before governments of member states of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) dealing with aviation policy matters.
The CTO Aviation Committee met at Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort on Saturday October 26, ahead of the 25th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-25) to look at issues facing carriers serving the region and to identify possible solutions to some of the problems.
The Committee, chaired by Conrad Aleong, president and chief executive officer of BWIA (British West Indies Airways), concluded that indigenous carriers needed help from governments of the region as well as “the marketing machinery” of the external airlines.
The Committee agreed to recommend that governments provide marketing support for the indigenous carriers. It will also propose that the national airlines be the first choice of travel for government employees.
On the subject of charters, the Committee agreed that these should be allowed to collect passengers to and from their destinations. However, the number of passengers should be limited to 10 percent of the aircraft capacity. Members also agreed to recommend to the governments, guidelines for use by destinations to determine when to approach a charter.
With the airline industry continuing to suffer hundreds of millions of dollars in losses since September 11, 2001 the Committee’s objective is to find a method of helping all carriers to profit from serving the region.
“We must have external scheduled carriers, as well as charters, but the indigenous carriers will always be the backbone of sustainable airlift,” said Mr Aleong. “I look forward to the day when the region has an ideal mix of these various elements.”
Delegates to the meeting unanimously called on the indigenous carriers to meet regularly to discuss common problems and to work together, particularly in the areas of maintenance, airports and aircraft purchasing, to find ways to reduce their costs.
They also expressed the need for the governments to become aware of the threat posed by low cost airlines to larger carriers serving the region.
The delegates felt that as the larger airlines restructure their costs to deal with the competition from the low cost carriers, they may pull out of the Caribbean and the indigenous carriers will not be enough to fill the void.
The Aviation Committee meeting was one of several taking place ahead of the CTC-25, which opened on Monday.
The Human Resource Development, Blue Flag, Executive and Marketing Committees met on Saturday while the Ministers of Tourism and the Board of Directors met Sunday.
The Ministers and Directors were expected to discuss the Caribbean Tourism Strategic Plan, the financial needs of the sector and a Sustainable Fund for Caribbean Tourism.
The regional television campaign, Life Needs the Caribbean as part of the overall marketing programme was also slated for discussion.

Elijah Greenidge: This agreement is testimony of a long standing cordial relationship

The St Lucia Seamen Waterfront and General Workers Union was busy last week when it sealed two wage agreements.
In the first instance, the union signed a two year Contract of Agreement on behalf of workers at the St Lucia Electricity Services.
But that wasn’t the end, a day later it signed a three year Contract of Agreement on behalf of the Castries City Council’s daily paid workers.
The Labour Department’s Mc Stephen Aubertin, who was on hand at last Wednesday’s CCC signing ceremony, maintained that there should be a spirit of compromise and complimented both parties on a fine job.
“I’d like to encourage all other employers and trade unions to try their utmost to negotiate in good faith,” Aubertin said. “The spirit of compromise ensures that the wishes of both parties are met at least halfway.”
He added that after much deliberation, they were pleased with the outcome of the negotiations—which gives CCC staff an increase of one per cent per annum.
“I must emphasise that during our discussions on the subject we were able to highlight to the union the need to have their workers be more productive,” Aubertin noted.
“As it is now, productivity among its members is very low and that is a factor that has compelled management to examine the options that are available in order to heighten productivity.”
Elijah Greenidge, president of the St Lucia Seamen and General Workers Union said the agreement was proof of their long-standing cordial relations with the CCC.