How do you feel about theater in The Bahamas?  What are its weak and strong points? How active is it?
Thankfully theater is on the rebound.
Theater in The Bahamas is in a fledgling state, a bit weird considering its decades and decades of history.  In a sense it's really being reborn.  Not all of it or all of the people are new, not by far, but part of our legacy was a disconnect from the previous generation to the current one in theatre.  That's no-one's fault per se, but one consequence has been a lot of new groups pushing forward, making their own way (which is excellent) but not having the benefit of the previous generation's experience and wisdom to pick, choose and refuse from.  It's also meant that the public's perception has been one of spotty theatre instead of a steady continuum which helps make it harder to build audiences.
An up side is that there are all these great, energetic, passionate, and dedicated people on the scene now doing what they have to tell their stories and express their creativity.
 
How do we make it better?
We all know what needs to be done, but these things are just addressing symptoms.  I've come to the conclusion that a lot of what really plagues theater, other arts, and even broader social issues in The Bahamas comes down to us not committing the time to building functional community.  If the mechanisms and social constructs and social capital of functional community are in place then dealing with issues becomes an automatic and second nature response because it's in the interest of the community.  A lot of the fracturing of the 'community' that was present is showing signs of subsiding and this is a great time be building stronger bonds.
 
How do you prepare to direct a show? Are there any special challenges that you must overcome when directing in The Bahamas?
There's some prep work that goes on before a play is chosen, but once the script is in hand there must first be a familiarity with the text. After several readings I can begin making decisions on style, spine, technical and creative design, and rough rehearsal and production schedules. All these decisions have an impact on one another but it all comes back to understanding your role as director and the considerations of the play, the place (venue, time and atmosphere), and the audience.  My style of note taking is a mash-up of a few recommendations I've come across and I recommend Backwards and Forwards by David Ball and On Directing by Harold Clurman as great books to start with regarding initial preparation.
There are many challenges when directing in The Bahamas, but I suspect they're challenges that are common anywhere that there's not a highly functional theater community, and that's most places that an industry isn't thriving in.  Time, money, skilled people, but much more than these we face a culture that's still pretty void of thinking about theater as a part of their lives. Cultivating audiences and a general atmosphere where going to plays is an integral part of life is the biggest collective challenge we must address as a community right now.
A producer/production manager takes care of a lot of challenges the play has, so for the director I would say that finding a team that commits to the work a play requires is number one.  There are many who say they're really interested in acting but they never explore the craft at all.  What they really mean is that they want to be in front of an audience and be applauded, and they expect you to give that to them.  If there's someone with potential I'll try to show him everything I've picked up along the way, but if you're not interested in learning I quickly stop you from wasting everyone else's time.  I give you the conditions up front and if you don't play by the rules I fire you.  Whether it's a paying gig or not you're fired because you're not working as part of the team and it's my job to keep things honest and fair for everyone; there's nothing personal about it.
 
Any advice for those who want to get involved in theater in any capacity?
Read, discuss & do.  Read plays, read books on the part of the craft you're interested in, support that with books about the other parts of the craft.  Don't think that information from books is enough, you have to discuss and do what you learn to really grasp it and you have to discuss it with people more experienced than yourself.  So get involved with one or, better, several theatre groups.  And go expecting to work while you learn. Maybe you'll be amazed that work can actually be fun.
 
Who were your mentors in theater?
I'd have to credit my junior high English teacher, Mrs. Hunter, for showing such passion around plays and literature and learning in general.  The main thing though, was that she cared about us and our learning.  I've also picked up a lot of dos and don'ts from people I've been around, but I haven't really had any mentors as such.  Perhaps it's best to count good books and mistakes and a willingness to learn from them.
 
How do you see your future in Bahamian theater?
Um... with the all new Future 5000 Glasses Combo Kit?  By reading tea leaves?
I'm going to direct plays, actively pass on what I've learned and try my hand at writing.  I'll also be involved in the work of building community in theatre.
 
What is your favorite Bahamian play?
Ha!  I don't believe in favorites. Seriously.
 
In your years in theater, have you seen the government support the arts in a tangible way?
Of course, but if you're asking if it should be better the answer is also of course!  Still, I'm a big believer in going out and getting it done then shoving it in government's face to support.  They're always keen to swoop in for the credit and the photo op once the work is done.
 
What role, if any, should the government play in not just theater but the arts as a whole?
Government should expect us to get together and figure out what we want as a community and then to reasonably fund our needs in the same way others receive funding.  They shouldn't just prop us up, but instead should be taking care of infrastructural needs, like improving the National Centre. They also need to help in maintaining a framework that enables the arts to flourish but otherwise stay the hell out of the way.  Until we get our collective butt together I don't think it reasonable to expect much.  It's obvious that a national program is needed, but again I think that's a cart-before-horse conversation.  That said, even without looking at the arts community government should recognize the value of art, and much more importantly, creativity and have a basic system in place to support consistently both the production of artistic works and the cultivation of creativity in the broad populace.
For more interviews with Bahamian thespians, visit http://bahamiandrama.wordpress.com.

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