Ingrid Griffith – US-based Guyanese writer and actor

By Jihan Ramroop

Ingrid Griffith, the writer and performer of “Demerara Gold” sat down with the Guyana Times International to talk about what inspires her, moves her, and drives her one-woman show.

1. What made you want to write Demerara Gold?

Caribbeans in America are very much a fabric of this society yet our stories and experiences are still pretty isolated and not fully told. There are books authored by Caribbean writers about the Caribbean experience but we don’t see movies or Plays about our experience. I played Ruth Younger in a college production of “A Raisin in the Sun,” Lorraine Hansberry’s Play about an African-American family in America, and I remember then telling myself that I should write a Play about an African-Caribbean family’s experience in America. There are other versions of the black experience in America that should be presented and be more accessible to everyone… yet our stories are not presented in the mainstream.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about the show?

DEMERARA GOLD is a one-woman show I’ve written and have been performing for the past year. It’s a coming-of-age story of a Caribbean girl whose parents get visas to go to America. The spirited 7-year old girl is left behind in Guyana to survive in her two grandmothers’ worlds. One is a recluse, the other is a religious fanatic.

Years feel like eternity and one day the growing girl taps into her wild spirit and breaks away from tradition for all to see. Soon after, the all- important visa finally arrives for her to join her parents. But in America the girl’s parents are not the people she remembers and life there is not what it was like in her dreams. It’s then and there that she realizes her battle has just begun!

3. When did you know you really wanted to do this show, and why?

I remember when I saw Anna Deavere Smith’s latest one-woman show, “Let Me Down Easy,” I was like, ‘OK Ingrid, time to jump in!’ I think after her first one-woman show, “Fires in the Mirror,” the solo-performance genre started to take off. It’s a genre that works well for me and my show. I get to show my acting range and because the set for DEMERARA GOLD is minimal — me and a chair — I can take it everywhere, and that’s exactly what I want to do.

4.When did you realize you loved to act?

It was in an acting group and I was doing a monologue. I was playing a character that was totally different from me. There was something about the character that needed to be fully drawn and raw. So, I was up there and probably for the first time wasn’t censoring or second-guessing myself. I was fully in the moment…I made specific choices and I went with them. That evening I connected to something different. It felt honest and magical.

5.What was one of the most important lessons you’ve learned so far?

The lessons I’m learning right now as I continue to perform and find audiences for DEMERARA GOLD are that I have to put the time in; there are no shortcuts; have a plan as how to move from a – f – z; have a team I can rely on, but be ready to wear all hats if need be; and keep listening to my heart!

6.If you could have any superpower, it would be…

To live for a very, very, very long time; to change but not age. I like the idea of having the ability to rejuvenate and re-appear stronger, brighter, wiser. Like a tree when the leaves are gone in the fall, then months later, they appear and the tree is vibrant and more alive.

7.Where’s the best place you’ve ever performed?

Linden, the second largest city in Guyana. It’s 64 miles outside of Georgetown, the capital, where I grew up. I had cousins who lived on a farm in Linden. I remember visiting them when I was a kid. I remember there were no street lights, the streets were unpaved… it’s still that way in some areas in Linden. Last January, I was there to perform DEMERARA GOLD for the McKenzie High School students. The space was indoors but it felt like I was outdoors. There were many doors and windows and they were wide open. The sun was shining in and it was hot! It felt pure. I thought of the Greek Theater.

8.What’s a regular day like for you?

Well, it varies. These days I get up at 5:30 a.m.. If I’m not working with clients (I am a freelance fitness trainer) from 6:30 a.m.-11 a.m., I’m writing. By late morning I’ll stop and do some reading, meditating or listen to the radio… or a little of all three. I’ll then go running or do some other kind of exercise for about an hour and a half or so. I like working out! Then I come home, shower, eat and take a nap (it’s nice to take a nap in the afternoons). If it weren’t summer, I’d be teaching in the afternoons (I’m also an adjunct professor).

By mid afternoon, I’m up answering emails, making calls, reaching out to people about the show and running errands. In the evening I meet up with my significant other for dinner or to go to a movie or a Play. Or, to go wandering or biking in the park. I turn in fairly early… by 10-11 p.m., I’m in bed. Of course, when I’m performing DEMERARA GOLD, my day is focused mainly on my work as the actor. I usually workout, meditate, get to the space early for a run through and prepare some more.

9. What advice would you give to people who are aspiring to be actors?

Study and work on your craft. I really believe in doing the work and having a strong acting foundation. Acting is a difficult business to break into and maintain. It’s very hard to

keep going when no one is hiring you to act. It’s very hard to get an acting job and another and another. So, get involved with an acting group(s) that meets regularly. Find a way to keep acting. Work on different characters, stretch yourself… so when you get that call, you’ll be ready.

10. What advice would you give to people who are aspiring to be writers?

The thing about writing is that it takes time and space. Writing is about rewriting what you’ve already rewritten (someone else said that, not me). And it’s absolutely true. Get into a

routine… write everyday, find a time of the day that works for you. Everything you write doesn’t have to be perfect or isn’t final. You don’t have to necessarily know where you’re going.

Control your expectations. Like acting, your job is to keep doing it… and enjoy the process. And yes, it feels much better when you’ve found inspiration. But if there’s none to be found, press on.

The next performance of “Demerara Gold” will be on Sunday, August 16 at 6 p.m., in the Tremont Terrace Moravian Church on 1621 Pilgrim Avenue in the Bronx. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at DemGoldAug16.eventbrite.com. For more information about the show, please visit demeraragoldtheshow.com.