Real theatre in Cayman: to be or not to be, that's the dilemma
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from June 1979.
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Theatre is all that, and then some, but theatre is also a living, feeling medium of communication which cannot be argued along strict lines of right and wrong, but rather according to the time, place and personalities involved in its existence in any given community.
Essentially, amateur and professional theatre are really very definitive variations on an uncommonly strict theme. It is no longer true that the professionals, regardless of how deplorable their input, are all those who gain direct financial advantage because of their involvement with a production.
Theatre in Cayman has over the past year or so taken a very dramatic turn. This turn was wont to come, but it seems to have been especially prodded by the flambouyant entrance of the Inn Theatre Company on the stage. The Inn Theatre is an aggressive, modernistic group which, ever since its unfortunately ill-chosen debut with Michael Abbensetts's "Sweet Talk", has successfully introduced island theatre lovers to camp stage craft. The Cayman Drama Society, in existence here for more than a decade, has done its bit in continual presentations of fairly classical theatricals. Yet even the CDS with its markedly conservative approach to popular theatre has bent those conservative rules for the benefit of the public, its treasury and its anxious members.
The Town Hall in George Town, for so long the most natural venue for theatrical productions, has gradually become out of bounds because of the growing needs of other community groups for the use of the hall for various diversionary purposes.
The Inn Theatre Company seems to have found a permanent home at the Royal Palms Hotel. The Cayman Drama Society at this point needs only the go-ahead from its general membership to start construction on the first phase of its own theatre on the woody property between the Cayman Racquet Club and the Government Administration Building.
Yet, what does all this mean? Is there really a local theatrical zenith towards which all interested parties are striving? Undoubtedly such a zenith is realistically and perhaps even passionately within the personal portfolio of many an individual local thespian, but is it a generally brilliant guiding light for all the diverse efforts to cultivate something of value?
There is an unspoken-though often whispered-attitude of conflict between pleasure in the presentations of these two fine companies is to continue without unceremoniousinterruption.
