The Grand Théâtre itinerant de Guyane inaugurated its drama center on Monday, November 25, 2024, Place Monnerville Kourou. The association chaired by Odile Pedro-Leal gave it the name Elie Stephenson. The poet and playwright attended the event.
A year and a half after taking up residence on Place Monnerville, in Kourou, the Grand Théâtre itinerante de Guyane (Grand Tig) inaugurated its drama center. « It is a space where we offer workshops, indicates Odile Pedro-Leal, artistic director of Grand Tig. NWe have done work to transform this room into a theater. » For the association, this space has multiple objectives. « We would like to list all the Guyanese playwrights and allow us to find here all the plays written by our authors. We would also like to stimulate Guyanese writing through residencies and be a place of creation open to other associations and other arts, such as music or dance. »
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Well located on Place Monnerville, the room was decorated outdoors by the artist Ti'Iwan Couchilli. With a capacity of 50 seats, it offers a stage space of 5 by 6 meters.
Agreement with the Regional Directorate of Youth, Sports and Social Cohesion (DRJSCS), the Drama Center benefited from its assistance for the financing of the work, as well as that of the town hall and the Territorial Collectivity of Guyana ( CTG).
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Monday, for the inauguration, each of its entities was represented. Very attentive to the speeches given by François Ringuet, mayor of Kourou and Emmanuel Prince, elected delegate for culture at the CTG, was the distinguished guest of the evening : Elie Stephenson, accompanied by his wife, Nora. For Odile Pedro-Leal, choosing her name for this center was obvious. « Elie Stephenson is the only playwright in Guyana to have written more than a dozen plays in addition to his other writings. »
The Grand Théâtre itinerant de Guyane inaugurated its Drama Center on November 25, 2024, Place Monnerville in Kourou. The association of the playwright Odile Pédro-Léal gave him the name Elie Stephenson.
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My heart is full of emotion
Opened with a performance by the Hoï Tanga group which brings together Saramaka women from Kourou, the evening continued with various performances including those, among others, of Roger Vaïti or the Duo Amazone, composed of flautist Michaëlle Ngo Yamb Ngan and guitarist Fabrice Pierrat. The latter interpreted Camopi gamecomposed by Maurice N'Guyen Van Ky and written by Elie Stephenson in 1973. I am speechless and my heart is full of emotion » said Elie Stephenson.
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For Emmanuel Prince, elected from the CTG, the location of the room is an asset. « It is this type of micro-project, in the neighborhoods, which makes it possible to reconcile culture and social cohesion. This allows everyone to come together through different cultural activities such as theater or dance. »
If the public, present in large numbers, appreciated the arrival of this new place of culture in the space city, comments on the (small) size of the room were made.
Duo Amazone, performing Laro Camopi, title written by Elie Stephenson in 1973.
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