- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 19/Aug 07:08

Milwaz Productions celebrates 10th anniversary with Anansi, gala

THE mood at the Government Plaza auditorium was a rollercoaster ride on August 10, as the members of Milwaz Productions marked its tenth anniversary with a showing of the play, Anansi, followed by an elegant Theatre & Ties gala. Milwaz founder and director Janieka Tudor-Baptiste said, “Milwaz Productions was born out of a desire to rekindle the love for literature and drama through vibrant, accessible stage productions. Ten years later, our mission continues – to inspire, educate, and empower through storytelling.” [caption id="attachment_1172859" align="alignnone" width="683"] Guests enjoy a bite at the Milwaz Productions gala. -[/caption] A media release said, from as early as 3.45 pm, patrons, the majority of whom adhered to the dress code of classy black and white ensembles, began making their way into the auditorium in anticipation of the 4 pm start of the group’s Alistair Campbell’s Anansi production. When the curtains raised on the albeit small stage, the cast took its audience abroad a slave ship from Africa, bound for Jamaica, on one of the most painful journeys documented in history. From the shackles to the beatings and death and burial at sea of some of the African slaves, the young actors told the story with much gusto, sometimes adding a little youthful flavour to the age-old story. [caption id="attachment_1172861" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Anansi the crafty spider. -[/caption] And, of course, the stories of the crafty spider Anansi, which, Campbell alluded had kept the minds of many of the slaves off their reality during the journey, took the audience on an emotional ride. There were gasps of astonishments, periods of sadness and tears, and some laughter as the stories unfolded, the release said. The cast included eight-year-old T’xiayan Cain, Eliana Ellis, Khaliyah Sealey, Kareem Forde, Megan Ali, Nia Williams, Jean-Marc Bagot, Samiah Boxill, Kyra Peterkin, Hannah Stevenson, Antonio Modeste, Renaldo Briggs, Sheldon Alexander and Jayden Julien, all of whom did not allow a few technical difficulties to disrupt their storytelling. [caption id="attachment_1172862" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A scene from Milwaz Productions' Anansi -[/caption] Following the production, the Milwaz team took a moment of honour those who contributed to the building of the production company but have since died. Then, it was time to mix and mingle, enjoy drinks and finger foods, and look back on how far Milwaz had come, the release said. “Theatre & Ties was more than a gala,” Tudor-Baptiste said. “It’s a tribute to the power of drama in shaping minds, inspiring hearts, and transforming educational communities. We were thrilled to premiere our premiere theatrical offering Anansi; a powerful and imaginative retelling of Caribbean folklore that also explores themes of resistance, survival, and cultural identity due to our painful historical past.”   The post Milwaz Productions celebrates 10th anniversary with Anansi, gala appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.