Guyanese actors and writers living in the United States now have a platform to distinguish them from the rest of the Caribbean in theatre. This is through Sistasoul Production Company, which was founded by Guyanese actor Linda Felix-Johnson in 2001.
Felix-Johnson told Guyana Times International that there was a vacuum in terms of having a Guyanese voice in the theatrical field, so she started the company to allow for display of the Guyanese culture and talent.
She says theatre is her passion, since she worked in the performing arts, both in Guyana at Linden Concert Hall and School (LICHAS) in Linden, and in the U.S. when she migrated in 1980. She, however, notes there are changes in the craft today. “It has changed a whole lot; but, in my opinion, I think the level of theatre we did in Guyana is way beyond some of the theatre I see here. I see a lot of what I would call ‘slapstick theatre’. We were professional and serious about what we did.”
She admonished those who are interested in theatre only for the money, as against the commitment. She believes that once a person’s heart is in the art, they would deliver the best performance to the audience. Felix-Johnson says her resolve is not to give up on the craft, despite some challenges as a result of the present economy. She said: “You lose money, but it’s just the love of it that keeps you going. Of course, everything you do you want to make a profit; but for some people, when the profit is not there, they don’t want to do it anymore. But for me, I will accept the profit and I will accept the losses as well; and I will keep going.”
In the meantime, Sistasoul is looking to get the youths more involved from an earlier age, both in the U.S. and in Guyana. Felix-Johnson said several theatre groups have been initiated in various New York schools. Regarding Guyana, as a member of the Linden Fund USA, she will be in Linden and hopes to galvanize support for the reintroduction of the performing arts in the schools in Linden.
Meanwhile, Sistasoul Productions is hoping to expand its touring destination to the Caribbean in a few years, since it has already done tours in the U.S. Some of the plays Felix-Johnson produced include “Til ah find a place”, “My brother, my wife & I”, “Marriage after death” — all written by Guyanese Ronald Hollingsworth; and Parry Wallison Bancroft’s “A bullet for my souvenir.”
