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You can't he a Trinbagonian and
not remember personally, or through the recollections of friends and family,
a show called Calabash Alley. To date, the show, which began as
a radio drama in 1970, is the most acclaimed work of one of Trinidad's
most prolific playwrights, Freddie Kissoon.
Freddie Kissoon was born the
last of of seven children to Augustine and Virginia Kissoon, at 63 Mucurapo
Road, St. James, and attended Nelson Street Boys RC School. He received
his secondary education at the Modern Seconary School in Woodbrook, and
then went on to the Government Training College.
Freddie received his initiation
in the drama field after joining the Nelsonians' Cultural Club in 1950,
and his big break came in 1957 when he won a recitation contest for "No
Thank You" from the Play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostant.
For that occasion he formed the now legendary Strolling Players, which
today still has the record for being the oldest drama entity in the country,
with deputy directors Azard Daniel and the ever-popular Shirley King.
Since 1957 they have performed 91 plays.
Calabash Alley
is a look at love at the grassroots level. O a hunch, Freddie Kissoon
did a stage version of this radio drama and took it to Grenada for one
show only, but because of the overwhelming response, was forced to have
a second show that same night.
In 1986 Video Associates did
10 episodes, followed by AVM, which taped additional segments.
Freddie Kissoon is described
as a leading light in Caribbean theatre, and was the first person to write
a book on West Indian creative drama. He also wrote most of the script
for Trinidad and Tobago's first full-length, The Right and the Wrong.
Among one of the 91 plays in
the Strolling Players' repertoire, is We Crucify Him, which was
first presented in 1967. The play has been performed in virtually all
of the Christian denominations in Trinidad during the Lenten season.
A director of more than 100 and
a writer of 70-plus plays, Freddie Kissoon was presented with the Hummingbird
Medal for his contribution to culture, drama and theatre in 1987. His
work has earned him great recognition and many awards, including two NDATT
Cacique Awards.
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