Tobago Performing Arts Company hosts Bitter Cassava at the Magdalena resort

The Tobago Performing Arts Company (TPAC) hosts its first major production, Bitter Cassava, this weekend at the Colibri Ballroom, Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort, Lowlands.

Billed as a “theatre experience like no other,” the production opens on Good Friday at 7 pm and runs throughout the weekend, with a special matinee show for school students (13 and older) at 2 pm on Glorious Saturday and 7 pm for adults.

On Sunday, the show also begins at 7 pm.

The production is being held under the patronage of Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris.

In a release on Monday, the TPAC said Bitter Cassava would be a full-length dramatic production steeped in the traditions of folk theatre, music and dance of Trinidad and Tobago.

“It demonstrates the power of community, mirrored in the downfall of a family and the catastrophic choices of man,” the company said.

It said the play, written by Dr Lester Efebo Wilkinson, is a tale of desire and disaster centred around the life of Sam, his common-law wife, Justina, and new love interest, Betty-Lou, as they navigate issues such as gender and domestic abuse, colour and class disparities.

The company said the production is being led by its artistic director Rayshawn Pierre Kerr, who has directed many original plays in the folk theatre and Best Village arena.

“Through intricate yet accessible storytelling, the audience is transported to a community where traditions are strong, and so is the rum!

"Song, dance, and spectacle are on full display as the TPAC cast, alongside some of Tobago’s best creative talents brings this full-length production to the stage at Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort, Colibri Ballroom in Lowlands.

Tickets for Bitter Cassava are available at the Magdalena resort.

The TPAC was established in September 2019 under the former Ancil Dennis-led THA with a mandate to nurture talent within Tobago’s cultural and performing arts.

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