Theatre of the Street
Nico on Dec 28 2005 at 12:32 pm | Filed under: General Theatre
The time has come, I think, for us to start talking about Junkanoo as theatre of the street.
That is, of course, what it is, without a doubt. Peter Minshall, the great Trinidadian carnival designer, has argued that carnival is street theatre — theatre with audiences on two sides. In fact, Trinidadian actor-director Errol Hill argued in 1967 that Trinidad’s Carnival was a blueprint for the development of a national theatre.
So why haven’t we had this discussion about Junkanoo?
Junkanoo, after all, could use the expertise of theatre personnel. I’m not talking about the costumes here. However, what no Junkanoo has yet truly mastered is its relationship with the audience. The lags between groups, the slow pace of performance when groups pass, the lack of attention to the whole of the street, the concentration on Rawson Square alone — these things are difficulties that affect the appreciation of the audience, and are things that the Bahamian public has complained about again and again. Junkanoo could learn from the directors and producers of theatre, just as we in theatre could learn from the visual and thematic presentations of Junkanoo.
Isn’t it time for the conversation to start?
