Diwali Season!

As we come to the end of Nav Ratri, the Diwali season is in full swing. Lot's of shows and other events all over Trinidad and Tobago and the Hindu world. In Trinidad and Tobago where there are Muslims, Hindus and Christians all in significant amounts the festivals of Eid-Ul-Fitr, Diwali and Christmas are usually celebrated every year in very close proximity to one another and sometimes the festivals are so close in succession nationwide you see something you may not see world over...you see structures erected say at roundabouts where a three armed symbol is shown one arm a deeya, one a moon and star and one a cross. I remember seeing that symbol a few years ago and found it so interesting...the concept of three rolling around in my head...three wise men, the trinity...it is that thought process and the fact that in Trinidad we have a body called the IRO-Inter Religious Organization of Trinidad and Tobago that inspired me to include that body in my Me Eat Manicou? theatre production in 2006. It was in that theatre production that the IRO was asked to decide on the fate of the animals-The Three Attacking Agoutis, Agouti Agnes Notamouse and Manick De Manicou...with the pastor, pundit and imam all mulling it over and then coming to a consensus to give the animals a home in the village and to punish the attacking ones.

When asked later that year to do a short adaptation of Me Eat Manicou? for my company's Diwali function I decided to keep the IRO theme going and show how each religious leader visited the other ones religious functions and in my show both the pastor and imam attended the diwali celebrations...as did the pundit attend the celebrations of the imam and pastor. Unity in diversity indeed! Below I leave you with some scenes from the production carried out on the small, temporary stage. Manick Escapes to (company's name).
Photos by Tyron Waterman 2006 and Theatre Production done by Meady's Musings Production 2006.