Iere Theatre Productions will transfer Michael Anthony’s classic novel Green Days by the River from the page to the stage on June 6-9 at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA).
In a release, the Trinidad and Tobago Performing Arts Network said the play, based on the 1967 novel of the same name, was brought to the stage under the leadership of veteran playwright and director Victor Edwards, who said the process of adapting the novel for the stage began in 2023.
“We wanted to honour Michael Anthony before he died. (Too often) we wait until people die before we honour them. The idea was to have him experience his work on stage.”
The network said unfortunately Anthony died on August 24, 2023, at the age of 93. In spite of this, Iere Theatre Productions remained committed to paying tribute to the work of the literary icon.
[caption id="attachment_1087323" align="alignnone" width="784"] A scene from the rehearsals for Iere Theatre Productions Ltd’s adaptation of the novel Green Days by the River. - Courtesy Curtis Bachan[/caption]
The release said successfully adapting a novel for the stage takes a village. It said Edwards assembled a diverse cast of upcoming and seasoned actors to breathe new life into the characters of the novel. The production stars Bakari Akowe as Shell, Jessica Joseph as Rosalie, and Khasiyel Perry as Joan, and features Chandrabhan Ramnarace as Mr Gidharee, Omare Asson as Pa Lammy, Meguella Simon as Ma Lammy, Sheila McIntosh as Mrs Gidharee, Jacob Joseph as Roy, Josiah Peter as Joe, Xion Daniel as Lennard, and Robert Innis as Freddie.
The production team includes musical director Joey Rivers, choreographer Beverly Hinds, set designer Narad Mahabir, and costume designer Janeene Simon-Sankar, with stage management by Alicia Edwards.
[caption id="attachment_1087322" align="alignnone" width="934"] Playwright and artistic director Victor Edwards - Photo Courtesy Iere Theatre Productions[/caption]
The release said Edwards was intimately familiar with the novel, as it would have been part of the secondary school curriculum in his many years as an educator. He also said he read the screenplay for Michael Mooledhar’s 2017 film adaptation, and said the stage play would take a different approach.
“Both the novel and the film employed linear storytelling. We are not doing that. That would not be a dramatic presentation, so we rearranged some of the dialogue and some of the scenes. We also had to fit the entire story into two hours or less, so we had to condense some scenes, and imply certain things to help carry the story, while maintaining the author’s intentions.”
Edwards also said music played a significant part in the stage adaptation.
“In the novel, musical pieces such as the Tennessee Waltz and Peanut Vendor were mentioned by the author, so we stuck fast to that. But there is other music that we have introduced for the stage play to support the themes being explored, and to help move the story forward.
“I like the idea of live music in my plays, so I go the extra mil
