‘Players’ celebrates anniversary with 2 plays

The plays on the bill are Sleepy Valley by Knox Summer School, Jamaica, directed by Freddie Kissoon and Doo-Doo, written and directed by Freddie Kissoon.

Sleepy Valley is a morality play which tells the story of the politician “Wild Hog” played by Matthew Collingwood, who returns to his native valley, to ask for the villagers’ votes in the forthcoming election. The symbols “Blue Mountain” (Patrick Romano) and “Big River” (Paul Mc Letchie) are the forces that closely monitor the behaviour of the people including Miss Mongoose, Fat Frog and the three washer women.

Also featured are Emma Martin, Winfield Cole, Kathleen Ojoe, Karen Nottingham, Arvonell Andrew, Jennifer Arrindell, Sunil Maraj, Andy Smith, Karen Richards, Gloria Pantin, Deborah Alexander, Marleanna John, Nicholas Romany, Phillip Greaves, Angus Smith and Shermaine George.

Collingwood joined the Strolling Players in 1993 and has played the lead role in God and Uriah Butler, Kisskidee in Doo-Doo and “Michael” in Lunch Time. He also appeared in Calabash Alley, Mr Big Stuff, Teacher Ebenezer, School Project, Love Me Carefully and many others. Matthew acted in the movie Men of Grey and several television productions. He is also involved in stage management activities for the Players.

Jennifer Arrindell joined the Strolling Players in 1997 and has performed on stage an television in Calabash Alley, Meet Ma Macos, Miracle Man, Forever Young, Beulah’s Dream, Waiting for Godwin, Mother Knows Best, Julius Caesar, Lunch Time, Adoption is an Option and several others. She has also appeared in a commercial for the Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago.

Doo-Doo won the first prize as the best original play in the Creative Writing section of the Arts Festival in 1965. It has been staged several times throughout Trinidad and also in Tobago, Guyana, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent, Carriacou, Toronto and Miami. Professor Ravindra Jain of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi called Freddie Kissoon for permission to publish the script in the autumn edition 2000 of The Telegraph – an English literary magazine with a circulation of millions in the Far East. The Trinidad and Tobago flag was flying high on every page.

In the love comedy are Sherry Singh, Leslie Harris, Manoutee Rambox, Anthony Harrypaulsingh whose father was the original “Koden” and Simon Bedasie, who has played the role of the old man “Ramsingh” more than 120 times.