The Actor You Never Knew!

Once upon a time, I wanted to become a prolific actor.

I have since then kept my involvement in the arts as a part-time venture and pursue opportunities when time and resources permit. However, as I have gotten older and venture into the world of Communications, pursuing Theatre Arts has supported me in terms of composing and structuring effective messaging for a variety of stakeholders.

Theatre Arts taught me that an audience can receive and interpret a message even though this may be far different from what you intended. This interpretation may be positive, negative, or neutral and thus as a performer, you must allow the audience to receive the message and pay close attention to the feedback or criticism that you will receive.

Being on stage provides you with the privilege to interpret and express an issue through a specific lens as a creator. You bring different perspectives to the forefront which may not have been seen before. The production of the day reflects what society sees, appreciates, or dislikes. Audiences that appreciate theatre, understand that it opens the mind to a different viewpoint.

Technical Information and Communication

My first degree was in Environmental Natural Resources Management with Theatre Arts. My goal at the time was to utilize Theatre Arts as a medium to inform and educate others on environmental issues. Doing a cross-faculty degree had its challenges. On one side of the coin, I was a scientist in training, where the answer to questions was objective. There was a result and you were either right or wrong. On the other side, I was a Theatre Arts student where the answer to questions was not exact. Subjectivity was a core component of the Arts. I remember my frustration as it was very common for me to view concepts logically when all my professors wanted was my opinion. It took me some time to get there, but after years of switching my mind to adapt to the value of an opinion vs a fact, it made me develop a skill to interpret technical information for the consumption of a general audience.

We desire simplicity in a fast-paced world and the expression of a scientist or a researcher can be long-winded. Therefore, it can be difficult to extract the fundamental message. It is no mistake that as scientists in training at the University of the West Indies, we were assigned a foundation English course to help craft our expression. Admittedly, I did not do well in this course. I was one of those students that took this three-hour class relaxing on a bench and chatting with friends with not a care in the world about how I should write or express myself. Today, I value the lessons taught in this class as it supports how you should structure and relay text that is easily consumed. A foundation English course was designed for each undergraduate, and for those who were deeply pursuing the complexity of the English language were conversely assigned a science foundation. The two fields of study always cross paths.

Controversy can Make an Audience Uncomfortable

If you have ever been to a Theatre Show, whenever there are serious topics that are being addressed, you would find that the audience will often heckle the actors while they are performing. I have seen productions that have been promoted as a comedy, but when writers decide to address serious issues such as rape, violence, homosexuality, lesbianism, marital and domestic violence issues, the response from the audience in the crowd at times was uncalled for. I distinctly remember two characters having a solemn and quiet moment after the death of a loved one. The theatre was still, the audience members were quiet, then without notice, an audience member shouted ‘BANG!’ to which the audience chuckled by the scare they just received. The actors did not respond to the noise as they were experienced and accustomed to this type of disturbance. However, one must question why would an audience member disturb such a serious issue in a play. Death is very much a part of life.

The only reason that the audience member reacted in such a way, is not because he wanted attention or to break the actors’ role on stage. Audience members usually react in this way, because they feel uncomfortable. The situation is too much for them, and they would usually react in a manner that is unorthodox to escape what they are seeing, experiencing, or feeling. Theatre Arts taught me to recognize those certain topics that can be received differently by a wide audience, and as a communicator, it is important to recognize what those topics are. Controversy can divide a nation with a variety of perspectives and opinions. Thus, we have a responsibility to balance our expressions to ensure that we do not offend or make others uncomfortable. Messages must always be balanced when speaking about issues that can cause a stir or evoke emotions that may make others sad, sympathetic, empathic, angry, or aggressive.

Unforgettable Opportunities

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If you knew me when I was between the age of 17 to 25, you could have easily described me as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I saw the good in everything and was desperate to push the boundaries beyond available resources. I was a firm believer in maxing out my energy and pursuing with vigour this cross-faculty degree that I believe made me special. My closest friends would argue that nothing has changed, but I believe that I have slowed down considerably as I do not do enough to propel my personality, skills, and expertise. This cross-faculty degree brought me so many opportunities that I have achieved to this date. Many of them were voluntary, but at the time of my life, I was much more altruistic than I am today.

I had the opportunity to be a Youth Ambassador with the Environmental Management Authority for over four years of my youthful life. I lived my dream of melding both the arts and science together, as our group used the arts, song, dance, and music to educate others on the most pressing environmental issues. I was also chosen to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 4th Commonwealth Youth Parliament in the United Kingdom, where I was elected as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Theatre Arts gave me the leverage to advocate with conviction. In 2011 I was awarded by the National Joint Action Committee for my contribution to Theatre Production, a ceremony recognized by the Office of the President of T&T. What took me by surprise was being hand-selected that year by Earth Conscious Magazine to moderate the Creative Arts session for the first-ever National Youth Forum on Climate Change.

The moral of the story is really that it’s never too late to be whatever you want to be. Your direction can change, but the fundamentals never leave you. Yesterday, I wanted to be a prolific actor and today I want to learn and understand all the concepts as it relates to communications. While this is now my career in which I want to grow and flourish, I still do take the time to engage in the Arts, because I value its importance. I would go above and beyond to carry a message to an audience by any creative means. They form fundamental mediums that grab an audience’s attention, ensuring that they understand and appreciate the message. It’s important to be versatile, different, and unique as these are the ingredients that will always make you the competitive choice.?