Ringplay Productions

On Saturday, July 22nd the final performance in this run of You Can Lead A Horse To Water took place at the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts to a sold out theatre. The following remarks were made by the director after the cast took their curtain call:

Welcome and thank you for coming out this evening.

Tonight this cast pays tribute to Angela Scott, an actress who originated the role of ‘Lawyer’ in this play when it was first performed in 1983. She reprised that role in 1988 and then again in 1991 when this work was performed and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We wish her well as she presently battles a serious illness and we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with her during this difficult time.

Speaking of former cast members it’s great to see some of them with us in the audience tonight. There is Dwayne Curtis, Sammie Bethel, Gwen Forbes-Kelly, Tex Turnquest and there is Anthony Delaney who originated the role of ‘Son’ in this play. I hope that I’m not leaving anyone out. (From the audience Nicolette Bethel calls out Lynn Lowe) Yes, there is Lynn Lowe and of course Nicolette Bethel and Jane Poveromo. Actually there are only three members of this present cast who have appeared in this work before.

I’ve had the great fortune to have directed some sixty plays and approximately eighty productions over the past twenty-five years. The plays have ranged from Shakespeare to Neil Simon. You Can Lead A Horse To Water does not just stand out as one of the top Bahamian plays but as one of the top plays that I have worked on period. In my opinion, this work can stand up anywhere and go head to head with some of the best that Broadway and the West End has to offer.

Shakespeare wrote “the play’s the thing” and that should be evident here tonight. The collaboration of writer, composer, director and cast has made what you witnessed here this evening possible but the true genius of Winston Saunders and Cleophas Adderley is what has really been on display. I would ask if you would be so kind as to recognize them both at this time.

Professor Rex Nettleford, while attending one of my rehearsals sometime in the 80s, said that The Bahamas led the Caribbean when it came to theatre. This was true, up to the latter part of the 1990s, and then theatre in this country went into serious decline. For about 8 years, theatre in The Bahamas was pretty much on life support. In the past few years, however, with individuals like Terez Davis, Michael Pintard and groups like Thoughtkatcher, Track Road Theatre and of course Ringplay Productions, theatre is beginning to make a comeback. We will endeavor to show this to our Caribbean brothers and sisters when You Can Lead A Horse To Water will be one of the works that The Bahamas will present in Trinidad in late September at Carifesta, The Caribbean Festival of the Arts.

As this theatre comeback continues, hopefully some day soon there will be another National Entity that will join The National Youth Choir, The National Children’s Choir, The National Choir, The National Youth Orchestra and The National Dance Company and that new entity will be The National Theatre of The Bahamas.

Ladies and gentleman again thank you for coming, and before you leave I would ask that you once again recognize the cast of You Can Lead a Horse To Water.

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Peter Ramsay was out again, this time to photograph Mrs. Christie, the wife of the Prime Minister. There is a photograph with her, the playwright, Mr. Winston and Saunders, and Dr. Gail Saunders. There are a few photographs of the director speaking after the performance and number of photographs of the cast in their final performance of this run: