Drama community mourns Trinidad Theatre Workshop founder

Eunice Alleyne, one of the founders of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop (TTW), has died.

Her son, DJ and radio personality Jason “Jus Jase” Alleyne, made the announcement on his Facebook page on February 5.

He said, “For those who knew she had been ailing for quite a while and she fought a good fight. Now she has transitioned and I’m sure my dad is all smiles as they finally reunite in the afterlife.”

He said funeral arrangements would be announced later.

Alleyne was born in Venezuela and moved to Trinidad with her parents when she was two. She attended St Joseph's Convent Port of Spain before working in radio and television, and becoming director of information at the office of the prime minster where she worked with the country’s first PM, Dr Eric Williams.

In 1959, she became one of the founding members of the TTW where she worked with playwright and poet Derek Walcott, who later became a Nobel Prize winner. She performed in numerous plays in the Caribbean, the US, Canada and Europe. She also won the Cacique award for Best Actress in 1998 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Drama Association of TT in 2003.

Albert Laveau, managing director of the TTW said he met Alleyene when he joined the theatre group The Company of Players, of which she was a member. He recalled coming to Port of Spain from San Fernando as a young man, to realise she was one of the most respected actresses on stage at the time, and found her to be a delightful person.

“She had a sense of humour that could light up any moment and she was a lot of assistance to the younger actors who were coming in.”

One of those young actors was poet, playwright and cultural activist Eintou Pearl Springer.

Springer said she was introduced to theatre when she attended St George’s College and, after graduating, went to the TTW where she met Alleyne.

“Derek was very intimidating, especially to a young person like myself. But Eunice was part of that wonderful group of talented actors who made the TTW welcoming.

“She was a very warm, humble and approachable person with this big laugh. Often, she would just sit quietly but she had this great sense of humour. It was amazing to see her transform from that person sitting quietly, into this marvellous doyen of the stage.”

She said Alleyne was a teacher and mentor who, later on, she called a friend.

Alleyne played the role of Ma Sandrin, a Yoruba elder, in Springer's Emancipation Day play Freedom Morning Come, which is usually performed outside the Treasury Building in Port of Spain.

Springer recalled that, before and after rehearsals, Alleyne and her husband would linger at Springer’s home to share drinks and laughs as they reminisced. She said those were precious moments.

“It was really a great privilege for me to have her in my Emancipation play. That was one of the last roles she did in her fabulous career.”

Springer also worked with Alleyne and they performed on stage with singer Mavis John, in Springer’s 1996 play, Shades of I-She.

3Canal’s Wendell Manwarren described Alleyne as a strong woman and amazing actress who was a giant in all regards.

“Eunice was very kind, very caring and very upstanding in her demeanour, yet able to relate to all kinds of people with ease. She was a great one. We are all the poorer for her passing. Peace be upon her.”

National Drama Association of TT PRO Anil Singh said the local theatre community stood on the foundation she helped build.

“The very stage we step onto and every story we tell is built upon the foundation laid by those who came before us. Eunice Alleyne was a driving force in the development of TT’s theatre, paving the way with her unwavering dedication and passion.”

He said her legacy would continue to support and guide the community for generations to come.