Milwaz Productions to host Shakespeare festival at Queen's Hall

Cheryl Metivier

As a secondary school student, Janieka Tudor-Baptiste made a pledge to herself – one that was inspired by the mundane introduction that she had received to a subject area that she loved.

By the age of 16, she had already determined that her preferred profession was teaching; and she was clear in her head about the kind of teacher she intended to be. It was at this stage she developed a love affair with English Literature, Shakespeare and the classics; one that she fully expected to be able to share with her future students.

"I deliberately went after teaching, I’ve just always known it’s what I was called to do.”

She vowed that under her stewardship, English literature would come to life, each student would have a glimpse into the literature she had learned to love so deeply, and she would take them on a journey to discover the true depth and value of the classics.

Today she is director of Milwaz Productions, a non-profit educational theatrical company birthed to assist and encourage students who are pursuing CSEC and CAPE studies in theatre arts and literature. She and her team work extensively with young people to introduce them to Shakespeare and the classics in an engaging way, one of which is putting on productions of the plays the are studying.

From October 14-17, Milwaz will host a Shakespeare festival at Queen's Hall in St Ann's with two productions – Twelfth Knight directed by Renaldo Briggs; and Othello directed by Tudor-Baptiste. There will also be a Lit Rally for students, and reading clubs where they will have an opportunity to hear from local writers, publishers, dramatists and poets and will be exposed to career options in these fields.

She said Milwaz is a contraction of two Swahili words – Milango Wazi which translates to "open door." The concept was inspired by a prophetic word she received from her pastor based on the scripture verse, Isaiah 22:22, which declares that God will open doors that no man can shut. She said after brainstorming with the other members of the group, they found the Swahili translation to be the best version.

Milwaz is based at Dickson Street, Arouca and consists of over 95 members and volunteers.

In 2020 the group was preparing for a trip to the Shakespeare Globe in London, having launched the Milwaz Shakespeare Festival locally in 2020. Unfortunately, the covid19 pandemic caused everything to shut down and the trip was cancelled.

"Everything just hit an indefinite pause. It was a tremendous disappointment after months of rehearsals and preparation."

But the team managed to stay together in the months that followed, connecting virtually and having online dramatic table readings, which were very well received. “Our zooms were always full when we did the readings," but of course, it was no replacement for in-person readings. In addition, challenges with internet reliability and other technical issues also proved to affect interest in the project.

"Every aspect of what is presented requires research to ensure authenticity, with respect to set design and costuming," and this is an area which Tudor-Baptiste said intrigues the students.

"So this was a way to stay engaged and return to planning mode for whenever there would be a resumption of ‘normal.’"

She said the preparation time was used judiciously, and planning for this year’s installment of the Shakespeare festival and seeing it to completion have been very intentional. This year’s production is something of a "full-circle moment" for Tudor-Baptiste because one of the plays, Othello, is the first play she did with her students as a new teacher at Bishop Anstey Trinity College East (BATCE) ten years ago.

“Except that these are no longer my students, they are now co-directors of the company.”

The mother of two teaches Literatures in English at BATCE Sixth Form school, where she is also a dean.

“I have basically been championing Literatures in English and theatre, the drama aspect of it.”

But, she said the waning interest in the subject area is posing to be a challenge.

"Generally, children entering sixth form are focused on the possibility of obtaining scholarships. In order to achieve this, their results must reflect a Grade 1 profile."

She said as one of the more "subjective" subject areas, many students of CAPE level Literatures in English do not get grade ones, and this causes many students to turn away.

"Nationally, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to attract students to this discipline."

She works very hard every year to get a cohort after CSEC results are released. But once they sit under her tutelage, she said, they are all in. She is quite proud of the bond she establishes and maintains with her students.

"One of the most effective tools which successfully keeps them engaged is bringing the content to life.

"Producing and directing stage presentations; challenging them to live the works that they study."

She said Milwaz was intended to create a space with doors open to love, expression creativity, healing, restoration, growth, and whatever is required.

"Often the first reaction by students who are exposed to the bard is, 'That boring, we don’t understand that old time English.'” But she is always is mindful of the value and benefits that the classics can bring to the students.

But why Shakespeare and not local or regional authors?

"The simple answer is that his works continue to be an integral part of the examination syllabus at both CSEC and CAPE levels, but more than that, it’s classic and is already made for theatre. Introducing students in a practical way gives them an opportunity to appreciate that the topics addressed in Shakespeare’s writing are timeless and therefore many of the themes explored are still relevant."

Also, she said, the process of executing a solid production is not as daunting as it may have been decades ago. Access to credible costuming, proper acoustics and lighting, for example, means that the quality of their production is superior to anything they could have contemplated before. Once the productions are brought to life, both audience and cast can dispel any notion of the content being too classical or archaic; and even if students opt not to pursue it, she said, they would at least have a deeper understanding and appreciation.

She said one of the encouraging aspects of her labour is when she witnesses the students taking ownership of their roles while remaining true to the script.

"It is an indication that they understand the content; notwithstanding the nuanced delivery.

"You could look at the person acting on stage and you would see the body language, and the comportment of a Caribbean person, but the language remains on par with the attitude, and this makes for a better understanding of the material”

For information on the productions, call 729-3627, 756-8107, visit
milwazproductions.com
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