Lilliput Theatre Premieres “The Emperor’s New Clothes”

Children’s Theatre Uses Caribbean Vernacular To Put An Original Spin On Classic Tale

May 9, 2008 – Port of Spain, Trinidad... Trinidad and Tobago’s audiences will be taken on a thought-provoking and imaginative journey with Lilliput Theatre’s adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes. The production will premiere on Friday May 16, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at Queen’s Hall and will run throughout the weekend.

The Lilliputians expressing themselves.

The young thespians will offer two versions of the classic tale emphasising the relevance of the story’s metaphor in today’s society. Lilliput’s junior drama class will stay true to the original tale, telling the story as presented by the original author. Contrasting the traditional story is the Seniors’ presentation from the perspective of ‘guntas’ or gangsters. In this alternate offering the young actors use the vernacular and culture of their familiar Caribbean landscape, drawing a parallel to contemporary society that any Caribbean audience could relate to. The play’s director, Wendell Manwarren, saw this year’s project as a means of facilitating the youth’s reconnection with the art of storytelling. “The reason why all good stories endure is that they are applicable over time. Certainly if we are aware of what is going on right now, we can see where it will apply,” he said.

At recent rehearsals for Lilliput’s upcoming production.

The production came out of the creative mind of designer and artist, Merylle Mahabir whose theme and conceptual costume designs served as a catalyst for the Lilliputians playwriting process. Every year, Noble Douglas, Lilliput’s artistic director, producer and choreographer is challenged with creating choreography that stays true to the theme while accommodating Mahabir’s abstract and unconventional costume designs. “It is a very difficult process that often calls me to look within myself. I work with children and teenagers of a range of abilities so this is an integral consideration in my compositions,” reflected Douglas. The end result is an intricately woven play that carefully balances the elements of dance, drama and costuming.

Lilliput’s dancers prepare for the Queen’s Hall stage.

Lilliput Theatre teaches drama to children aged 7 to 18 and dance to children aged 3 to 18. It was founded in 1975 and encourages self-confidence through the challenge of theatre, game play and imagination. Juxtaposing rising concerns for indiscriminate government spending with growing complacency in society, Lilliput’s 2008 production is well timed.


WHAT: The Emperor’s New Clothes

WHO: Lilliput Theatre

WHEN:
Friday May 16, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday May 17, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday May 18, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Queen’s Hall, St. Anns, Port of Spain

TICKETS: $80 adults/$60 children
Crosby’s Music Centre, St. James or students of Lilliput Theatre

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

Food for thought
Lilliput Theatre – The Company

Lilliput theatre was born in 1975 out of the vision of two artists, actor Tony Hall and dancer Noble Douglas, who were driven to use the performing arts as a medium to stimulate young people’s creative energy, and to build their character, self confidence and self esteem. The theatre company has evolved its own techniques and exercises that are deftly employed to create drama and tell stories in novel ways, scripted by the young thespians themselves. The end result is abstract, innovative and thought-provoking productions with intricately woven scripts of drama, dance and costuming. Under the guidance of artistic director, Noble Douglas, drama director, Wendell Manwarren and costume designer, Merylle Mahabir, Lilliput offers drama instruction to children aged 7 to 18 and training in contemporary modern dance to children aged 3 to 18. Lilliput provides youth with a forum for self exploration and expression, to channel their imagination while nurturing a love, respect and discipline for the craft and tradition of the performing arts and the creative process.



THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
The Poem, by Merylle Mahabir.


The Emperor had a Vision

said, "I need something new!",

He got a fancy new Tailor,

and a fancy house too.


Then Empire State buildings

new boats and a plane

to wear his new clothes in,

we know it's insane.


The Emperor's New Yes Friends

say "the Clothes looking fine!"

but there's nothing to see,

are they deaf, dumb and blind?


We all see that he's naked;

is he going mad?

And he spends all our money,

it is mad, bad and sad.


The Emperor's New Clothes

are outrageous, expensive,

but there will be a parade and

we're creative, inventive.


We took a page from Pierrot:

cut old curtains and lace,

put on a straw hat

and made up our face.


With dames, baby Dolls

though our costumes are scant

Saga boys, Devils, Imps

don't tell us we can't.


The Nation's not safe now,

so just as a surety,

Lilliput walks with Stick-fighters

for our own Band Security.

Lilliput Theatre Calls Us To Introspection

Children’s Theatre Company Premieres Its Interpretation of The Emperor’s New Clothes

April 28, 2008 – Port of Spain, Trinidad…Lilliput Theatre will premiere its interpretation of The Emperor’s New Clothes at Queen’s Hall beginning Friday May 16, 2008 and running throughout the weekend. In their re-presentation of this classic tale, the young thespians emphasise the relevance of the tale’s metaphor to Trinidad and Tobago’s present political and societal landscape.

This year, Trinidad and Tobago’s political environment deeply inspired the artist and designer, Merylle Mahabir, in her conceptualisation of the theme for Lilliput’s 2008 thought-provoking production. “The original story echoes what is going on in the country. I wanted to do something that highlights the complicity and the follow-fashion mentality of the people not just ‘The Emperor’ in the big con. It seemed really apt and inevitable that we do this,” muses the artist. The Lilliputians were charged with creating theatre out of Mahabir’s conceptual designs which first came to life in the streets during Lilliput’s 2008 Junior Carnival portrayal.

Mahabir’s desire to make her art socially and environmentally conscious led her to look back to traditional costume design. In the costuming there are historical references from very different periods combined with influences from Trinidad and Tobago’s traditional mas characters. The designer created fancy yet economic costumes reflecting those of the Pierrot, Dames, Baby Dolls, Saga Boys, Devils and Imps. “There is a kind of not-quite-covered-up feeling although they dress to impress. Between the loosely spaced strips of fabric, one can see their 'underwear'. Their real story,” she says.

Lilliput Theatre teaches theatre to children aged 7 to 18 and dance to children aged 3 to 18. It was founded in 1975 and encourages self-confidence through the challenge of theatre, game play and imagination. The theatre’s production team is led by the founder, artistic director, producer and choreographer, Noble Douglas and the director, Wendell Manwarren.

Juxtaposing rising concerns for indiscriminate government spending with growing complacency in society, Lilliput’s 2008 production is well timed. In the words of the director, “In signature Lilliputian style, the play is not for those who want all the answers…rather it stimulates one to think and read between the lines.”

WHAT: The Emperor’s New Clothes

WHO: Lilliput Theatre

WHEN: Friday May 16, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday May 17, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.

Sunday May 18, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Queen’s Hall, St. Anns, Port of Spain

TICKETS: $80 adults/$60 children

Crosby’s Music Centre, St. James or students of Lilliput Theatre

For more information, please contact:

Liza Miller, Director of Public Relations, Caribbean

Estuary Public Relations

Phone: (868) 761-1195

Email: liza@estuarypr.com

http://www.estuarypr.com/