Caribbean youth, where you at!? 

Allow me to set the stage for you…Imagine a dimly lit auditorium. The curtain rises and suddenly, you’re transported to another world. Welcome to the theatre - a place that is more than just a costume and applause. It is not just a performance, it’s a movement.

Theatre Arts has something for everyone: dance, music, acting, designing, playwriting and so much more. It’s like a doubles with slight pepper: bussin’ with flavour and you can never get enough! Let’s zero in on what I like to call the 3 Cs: Creativity, Compassion and Confidence.

First up is creativity. You ever improv before? I could tell you, “You’re an astronaut and the world ending, but you only allowed to say three words to warn people.” What will you say? “Asteroid coming, run!” or “Hide yuh tail!” That is the magic of creativity - it pushes you to imagine and express yourself in ways you never even think about. In the words of Albert Einstein,

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

Next up is compassion. This is where theatre touches the soul. Where else can you experience becoming a blind photographer trying to find purpose again or becoming Ezekiel’s mother and finally giving him what he deserves. You learn to see life through someone else’s eyes and feel their pain. That is true humanity. 

Last but not least - Confidence. Stepping onto the stage requires a lot of courage and vulnerability. Through rehearsals, performances and feedback, you learn to trust your abilities, take risks and persevere in the face of challenges. Theatre is a team thing too. You learn to work together and not hog the spotlight like you name Beyoncé. It really is a reflective space where you gain insights into your own identity and in turn want to shape your own narrative.

That same confidence helped launch the career of actor Winston Duke (Big up we boi). Yibambe! Yibambe! He said that he wanted to become an actor because he loves storytelling so he wanted to shed light on the lives of people not often given the opportunity to tell their side of the story. Isn’t that just beautiful? I’m not crying,  you are.

All in all, theatre is not just a hobby. Whether through school programs or community classes like those by the Oratory Foundation or DC Shell Theatre, it is a space for growth, reflection and empowerment.

Keep dreaming and use theatre to inspire and be inspired. As William Dafoe said, “Great theatre challenges how we think and encourages us to fantasise about the world we aspire to.”