Dennis Coke, Staff Photographer
The KC drama group in their performance of 'One Love In A Dub', their play in the national finals of the JCDC drama competition.Fortis cadere cedere non potes - The brave may fall but never yield.
This is the motto of Kingston College (KC). In fact, people all over the country are familiar with the first word of the motto, fortis, which is emblazoned on a number of cars.
It would now appear that the purple-blooded are getting another reason to be extremely proud of their school in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's (JCDC) national finals.
The school's drama group, led by Peter Heslop, has entered at least two categories of the finals and when The Sunday Gleaner spoke to them they were waiting to find out if they had been included in the music finals, as the group also has a drumming contingent.
Inclusion in these finals would put them in the running for the coveted Marcus Garvey Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts.
The Garvey Award is given to the school or group deemed to be the most outstanding in the competition. Additionally, the winner has to be involved in at least three different areas.
So far, KC is involved in the speech and drama finals. This year marks the first time they have had this many entrants at the national level.
While the drama finals are not yet determined, KC did exceptionally well at the speech finals, walking home with all the top awards in the competition. They received the awards for best overall presentation and best speech instructor.
They also received the Louise Bennet Award for the best overall Jamaican dialect and the special award for an outstanding presentation.
KC had five enteries in the national finals and four of them received the category trophy. Sheldon Sheperd received two category awards.
For his first attempt at a standard English entry in the competition, he performed Psalm 2, Portia's speech in The Merchant of Venice and Sonnet X. These were entered in the Sonnet, Psalms and Shakespeare categories, respectively. He told The Sunday Gleaner that he had chosen to perform a standard English entry in an attempt to see whether he was able to deliver. Evidently, he can.
He also received the trophy for the best dub poetry in Class 5, for House Fi Live Inna, which also received the special award for an outstanding presentation, thus bringing his trophy tally for this year up to three.
Oneil Peart, who is another veteran of the JCDC competition, brought the school two awards. Peart, who has been entering the competition for the past eight years, performed Joan Andrea Hutchinson's Jenny Is My Mule and Ward 21.
For his effort, he won the best Jamaican dialect award in class 5 and also won the Louise Bennett Award.
The group's presentation, under the name Nomaddz, the dub poem Pressure, won the award for best dub poetry ensemble presentation in class 5, as well as the award for best overall speech presentation.
The group is made up of young men who all seem very dedicated to their craft.
Omara Mazlin, who is one of the lead drummers, defines drama as a multi-faceted thing, noting that it defines his life. He states that the essence of drama is too wide to be captured in any one thing.
Mazlin also notes that studying drama has given him a cultural benefit. "It helps you appreciate the culture that makes your history," he explains. "It teaches you about your history."
Helped with academics
Shaine Fitzgerald notes that a part of his attraction to the art form is his natural inclination towards comedy, noting that comedians were possibly hit on the head 'twice' at birth.
However, his love for the art has blossomed. Like several of the other men in the group, he admits that being a part of the drama group has helped him with his academics, especially English Language and Literature.
He says: "It's only since I've been in the drama club I've started writing poetry. Since I've been in the club, it's like having a light come over my life." Shaine notes that it has allowed his creativity to bloom, as well as his ability to analyse poetry.
Everett Brown notes that he too has greatly benefitted from being in the drama group. He states that, since his involvment, his English average has moved from 50 per cent to 90 per cent.
Better performance in school seems to be not the only benefit. Fitzgerald notes that that being in the group helps him to escape from his problems.
He states that his involvement allows him to "spend more time on the stage than on the corner".
Ericardo Gayle points out that his involvement in the group has provided him with a needed outlet: "Drama and the arts has been an alternative route to express my anger on a whole... in a literary way. I share it with other people when I'm on the stage."
Mr. Heslop notes that Gayle is generally the creator of the JCDC enteries for which he consistently wins medals: "His pieces are always hard-driving and critical of the rulers of the society.
Everaldo Creary also admits to having received several benefits from his dramatic forays.
"Drama has helped me improve my character," he states. He notes that it has greatly improved his self-confidence, as well as his ability to handle literature both in terms of writing the essays and his creative thinking.
No empty boast
All these statements about the benefits of being in the group does not appear to be empty boasting.
Mr. Heslop notes that none of the men who have been involved in the group since first form have failed to graduate from the school.
This is in spite of the fact that they have a lot of rehearsals to do, especially as the Festival approaches. Gayle points out that he did not find handling the rehearsals and seven CXC subjects an easy task, but he managed.
Cloyd Clarke explains how he maintained the balance: "Rehearsals are from 3 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., you go home refresh yourself, study until 3:00 a.m., then sleep for school the next morning."
Fitzgerald, who is in lower sixth form and thus did not have exams, notes that because "You need to do both your academics and drama it is things such as TV time which get reduced."
Having begun what could easily become another purple empire, Mr. Heslop states that he hopes to keep the group together long after the members have graduated. He believes the group can maintain continuity if the decision is unanimous, especially as the students are strongly guided by the school's motto.
