Ward Theatre waits for curtains to go up again
Published:Sunday | April 6, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Amitabh Sharma, Contributor
"All the world's a stage ... ." The words echo from William Shakespeare's As You Like It. For the Ward Theatre, the stage is the world from which voices echoed, scenes were enacted, and emotions played out to a rousing audience.
All that echoes now are sounds of silence, ricocheting from the dark and dim emptiness, and rays of sunlight that permeate the doors and dissipate into the opulent interiors.
Charles James Ward built the present structure, its third avatar, in 1912, the theatre opened its doors on December 16 of the same year.
Ward, who was the custos of Kingston, is the 'Nephew' in the rum manufacturing company J. Wray & Nephew, which provided the enabling funds.
"The Ward Theatre is a magnificent structure,
with history written deep into its fabric", said Doreen Thompson of the
Ward Theatre Foundation.
The Ward Theatre, over the
decades, has had its share of anticlimaxes. Here once stood Kingston
Theatre, built in 1775, and was destroyed by fire; to be replaced by
Theatre Royal, which was razed to the ground after the 1907
earthquake.
Since opening its doors in 1912, the Ward
Theatre has been instrumental in preserving, nurturing, and sustaining
the culture and heritage of Jamaica. Numerous dance and drama groups
from across the world have graced the stage and enthralled
audiences.
Still magnificent
But in
the fast-evolving world around it, the Ward Theatre got buried somewhere
in the annals of history. Still magnificent, it only has a film of dust
and emptiness to give it company.
The glass doors at
the entrance, some of which are closed, others with broken panes and one
ajar, let in an occasional visitor, but mostly elements of nature and
the echoes of the hustle and bustle of downtown
Kingston.
Divided on three levels, the lobby on the
ground, the Parquette, is adorned by photos of the theatre and music
greats who have performed in the theatre over the
years.
The two upper levels, Dress Circle and Gallery,
have separate entrances and exits.
The grandiose
interior, though hiding behind the dusty darkness, can't be ignored, it
is visible as soon as one enters the auditorium from the Parquette,
which slopes down to an orchestra pit at the base of a wooden
stage.
The high, intricately designed crown-moulded
dome ceiling is awe-inspiring, though some chunks of it have peeled and
now hang precariously, exposing the roof above. Every inch of this
sanctum is a remnant of the emotions and the drama that would have been
played out on the stage.
Adapting to
survive
A sole arc light stands on the sidelines of
the stage, merged with the blackness of its dark surroundings, waiting
to be plugged in and turned back on again to shine the
spotlight.
"It (the Ward Theatre) has always had to
adapt to survive as Jamaica's premier national theatre," said Jonathan
Greenland, a director of the Ward Theatre Foundation, which is, over the
years, trying to restore it to former glory. "She now has to adapt
again."
According to Greenland, the theatre has to
appeal to many different audiences and serve many different
functions.
"We have been working to both restore the
historic building and also raise it to a 21st-century standard,"
Thompson informed.
The theatre, grounded in rich
history, is looking for Act IV to open to the audiences. This a place
where people see movie premieres, hear talks, listen to music, do
workshops, watch plays, as well as a learning space where youngsters
learn all the aspects of the performing arts.
"It can
be done," says Greenland.
And this institution, which
embraced and fostered talent for centuries, is in need of some tender
loving care herself, like a mother who, in her old age needs her
children and grandchildren to hold her hand and comfort
her.
"Generations as yet unborn will never forgive us
if we allow the Ward Theatre to collapse," said Vivian Crawford, deputy
chairman of the Ward Theatre Foundation. "It forms an indispensable part
of our tangible and intangible
heritage."
Photos
by Amitabh Sharma