Proscenium Theatre Co's production of The Wiz opens on November 13 at Queen's Hall, for a four-day run. Subtitled The Super Soul Musical Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz reimagines L Frank Baum's children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African-American culture.Multiple Cacique Award winner Mervyn de Goeas will be directing The Wiz. A core member of Proscenium, de Goeas praised the "ridiculously talented performers" who turned up for open-call auditions on August 24.In an interview, de Goeas expounded on the multiple possibilities that staging this musical affords. The call of childhood nostalgia, and the throwback to a playful, energetic landscape, he said, would hold significant allure for theatre-savvy audiences.In an e-mail interview, founder and director of Proscenium Theatre Andrew Seepersad explained the significance of selecting The Wiz for the local stage.The play is "a classic tale retold in a modern way, utilising our culture and tradition," Seepersad said.
Artistic ties to T&T
He lamented that few know of The Wiz's artistic ties to T&T–Trinidadian art titan Geoffrey Holder directed and designed costumes for the original 1975 Broadway production of the play. Holder's work with The Wiz earned him two Tony awards for direction and costume design, in the same year. "This accomplishment should be part of our communal knowledge–no different to our Olympic winners," Seepersad said.Choosing The Wiz was a consensus between Seepersad and de Goeas, for complementary reasons. Proscenium's previously produced plays include Rent, Little Shop of Horrors and Rabbit Hole. These selections, said Seepersad, are evidence of his intent to pursue "exciting, current work different from the sex comedies and routine standard musical theatre fare."
De Goeas also lamented the dearth of meaningful work for the stage in this country, saying that "the theatre has been stuck in a rut for a long, long time."
Founded in 2010, Proscenium is Seepersad's brainchild. Despite a day career in the finance sector, he felt the need to vitally contribute to society via this pathway. "My strengths, passions and experiences made the call of theatre so strong that I was compelled to it," Seepersad said. The decision to partner creatively with de Goeas, was, according to the producer, a no-brainer. "He is the best director in the country," Seepersad stoutly stated, adding, "He's my mentor and my friend–and we work seamlessly with each other."In their symbiotic roles as producer and director at Proscenium, both men feel a strong sense of optimism surrounding a positive upswing for the arts in T&T. Such good work is presently being done, de Goeas said, that we might be able to solidly leave a primary legacy of "inane sex comedies" behind us.
Blast of new talent from UTT
He cited the first graduating class of the University of Trinidad and Tobago's theatre arts degree as a "blast of new talent," singling them out as a "strongly committed" group of young people who are dedicated to pursuing a career in the arts. In April this year De Goeas directed the final senior project practicum of the graduating class, a production of Jean Genet's The Maids.One of Seepersad and de Goeas' joint hopes, through regular productions helmed by Proscenium, is their continued contribution to an active arts community."A formal education in the arts does not prepare you for the real and practical world it represents," said de Goeas, who had his directorial debut at 24 with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, produced by the late Godfrey Sealy.
A grounding in the theatre's practical and often disillusioning realities, de Goeas remarked, will likely separate those with fierce ambition from those who are merely well-intentioned dreamers.
Referencing the well-attended casting call for The Wiz, Seepersad professed to be "particularly overwhelmed" by the response from both experienced and novitiate actors and actresses. "The audition for The Wiz was pretty rigorous, and we found some real talent," Seepersad added.Facing a two-month schedule in preparing The Wiz for its opening, de Goeas, who has more than 30 years' experience in the arts industry, said he remains undaunted. His administration of the musical will take a three-pronged approach: attention to sound and score; choreography work, as well as hands-on directorial time for spoken elements."It then becomes a matter of getting these components, each vital in their own way, to mesh and come together successfully," de Goeas concluded. Principal read-throughs of the script are scheduled to take place within the coming week.Who are the Beryl McBurnies and Geoffrey Holders of our current, actively performing generations of thespians? Singling out exceptional talent can be a perilous task, but de Goeas and Seepersad assured audiences of a phenomenal experience in theatre, come mid-November.
The Wiz Cast
Tishanna Williams as Dorothy
Caroline Taylor as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North
Aurora Tardieu as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South
Michailean Taylor as The Wiz
Justin Zephyrine as Scarecrow/Lord High Underling
Kyle Richardson as Scarecrow/Lord High Underling
Stefan Simmons as Tinman
Kevin Humphrey as Lion
Jeannine Clarke as Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West
Diahann White as Auntie Em
Keino Swamber as Gatekeeper/Uncle Henry
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