The third birth

That was Horace James talking to me way back in 1963 in a London pub. We had just seen Antony and Cleopatra at RADA — The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

He was rather pleased to introduce me to his friends as a British Council Scholar from Trinidad who was attending the prestigious Central School.

After our discussion, I still had no real desire to be in control of any group. I just could not stand the problems that face leaders. Above all, it grieved me to be correcting and constantly pulling up adults.

In 1964, a colleague — A M Clarke, at St James Secondary persuaded me to stage his play Road To Glory and was prepared to finance the whole production. At the same time, Company of Players had asked me to direct a play of my choice. When I submitted Clarke’s play, they accepted it.

We had two readings. The play was cast and as I was about to have my first rehearsal, I received a letter from the Company telling me in no uncertain terms that the play was not suitable and their name must not be associated with the production but actors from their Company could perform with me if they so desired.

I was devastated but more determined to stage Road To Glory. Once more the Strolling Players rose again, like the phoenix from the ashes for its third birth. Going into the “marish and the parish” we took anyone willing to perform on stage.

The script called for singers and dancers and we enlisted the Dulcet Choral Society and the Humming Bird Dance Troupe.

Senator Ronald Williams said in his foreword of the programme for the performance at Queen’s Hall on October 1st and 2nd, 1964: “A M Clarke is to be highly commended for his courage in attempting with this play to breathe some life into the dramatic body that has been considered dead and all but buried.”

Spurred on by the success of Road To Glory, I sent out circulars on January 21, 1965 to the twelve bona fide members of The Strolling Players informing them that I was trying to reorganise the group and inviting them to a meeting on Tuesday February 1.

I arrived at quarter to five for the meeting at 5 pm. When it was five, no one else was there. Five thirty — nobody, I sat and waited. I stood and waited. I walked about... and waited. I prayed... and waited until 7 pm. Two hours and fifteen minutes and no one showed up.

All I did not do was cry. As I sat on that old broken-down step with my face buried in my hands, I felt a burning fire deep inside of me and I was searching my very being for the answer to the eternal question — “Where do I go from here?”

The answer came in the stillness, “Do what you must do and don’t let anything deter you.” That was the one moment in time when I knew for sure that I had taken the right road. My mission was to put my hands to the plough and not look back.

A second circular was sent out on March 3, 1965 inviting the same twelve to a meeting on Tuesday March 19 and emphasising that if they did not attend, it was an indication that they were no longer interested. On that day, four members turned up: Rita Ashby-Keer, Sydney Best, Peter O’Neill and Anthony Rocke.

The first thing I did was to take the bull by the horns and dump the constitution. If Moses had a constitutional stumbling block, he would still be in the land of Egypt.

The membership of The Strolling Players now stands at 138 — age range 20 to 79 [51 men and 87 women] from all walks of life. We have staged 116 plays, 2289 times. Members have performed in 79 television plays, six serials and 11 locally made movies. On Wednesday June 14, we shall celebrate our 48th anniversary.

Here is a Chinese proverb to ponder, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”