“The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life.”

Oscar Wilde once uttered those words and I am sure it gave a few people orgasms to say “I heard him say this in person.” Regardless, he is correct, theatre is not just about how it draws from all the performing arts to create a cohesive play, but also how it creates art from within.

For over forty years Bahamians have continued to be entertained and educated by the theatre. For many this was at The Dundas Centre for The Performing Arts or the Dundas Civic Centre as it was known during the sixties and seventies. During the late nineties and early twenty-first century, Bahamian drama saw a diminished number of performances. That is, a whole group of youths, grew up without their native drama. Many tried to keep it alive, but it wasn’t until the 2009 genesis of Shakespeare In Paradise that many believed.

In 2011 with new theatre groups cropping up as a response to SiP,  it is imperative that Bahamians become aware of a very important aspect of their culture and the struggle to keep it alive.