wall of fame

Jean and Dinah…Speak Their Mind Publicly Excerpt 1

Miss Miles Woman of the World

Video footage courtesy Lord Street Theatre.
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Playwright / Director / Actor / Educator

Born Michael Anthony Hall on Friday July 16th, 1948, Tony Hall functioned as a playwright, screenwriter, actor and director from the city of San Fernando on the twin-island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. In his early years, Tony grew as a protege (1973-81) of Poet Laureate & Nobel Prize winner in Literature, Derek Walcott.

Having worked at home and abroad, Mr. Hall wrote and directed productions for the street, stage and the big screen. He also collaborated closely with world renowned Carnival designer Peter Minshall.

Mr. Hall is an alumnus of the University of Alberta and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (both in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), and has presented the Jouvay Popular Theatre Process [JPTP], implemented worldwide as a performance model for actor ‘training’ and play-making as well as for personal and community ‘development’.

Tony worked as a lecturer and arts facilitator at colleges and universities stretched between the Caribbean and Europe. At Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, he lectured Festival and Drama, at AIndiana State University, Terre Haute, he directed two World Premieres, ‘The Brand New Lucky Diamond Horseshoe Club’ (2004) with David Rudder and Arthur Feinsod’s ‘Table 17’ (2007). His works were also featured in the Caribbean at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain and the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad. In the UK, the University of Winchester, the University of Bradford and The Carnival Learning Centre, Ryde, Isle of Wight.

In 1990 he confounded The Lordstreet Theatre with Errol Fabien, where he composed and produced landmark award-winning plays including: ‘Jean and Dinah . . . Speak Their Minds Publicly’ (1994), winner of five Cacique Awards for theatre in 1994-5; ‘Twilight Cafe’ (2001), also winner of five Cacique Awards for theatre in 2002-3; ‘The Brand New Lucky Diamond Horseshoe Club’ (2006) with lyrics and music by David Rudder, awarded Most Outstanding Original Music in 2006; and ‘MISS MILES the Woman of the World’ (2011)

Tony Hall also co-wrote and co-directed a number of heritage and social works for street theatre such as; ‘Butler Labour Riots’ (1985-88/2012) with the Oilfield Workers Trade Union in Fyzabad, Trinidad; the 1881 ‘Camboulay Riots’ (2000-12) with cultural and community drama groups, a re-enactment of the famous riots in Trinidad which initiated the distinct Trinidad Carnival as we know it today; ‘Red House [Fire! Fire!]’ (1999) an outdoor production on the Water Riots of 1903 in Trinidad’s capital city, Port of Spain.

In film and video, Tony created award winning works as a screenwriter, director, producer and performer with a collective of artists at Banyan Video Studio, Port of Spain. These projects include: ‘And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon’ (1992/USA release 1994) an award-winning BBC/TVE/Banyan documentary and ‘Gayelle’ (1985-1990) a ground-breaking, internationally acclaimed, cultural magazine for Television.

In 2002, Bruce Paddington, Christopher Laird and Tony Hall, together as BANYAN, received the Vanguard Award from the National Drama Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDATT) for innovative ground-breaking television. In 2013,also from NDATT, Tony received a Life Time Achievement Award.

Article Courtesy Jouvay Institute:
http://jouvayinstitute.blogspot.com/2014/09/tony-hall-bio.html

Tony Hall’s Full CV:
http://jouvayinstitute.blogspot.com/2013/09/1-curriculum-vitae-tony-hall-playwright.html?q=CV

Further Reading:
https://globalvoices.org/2020/04/29/trinidadian-tony-hall-visionary-of-play-and-performance-leaves-behind-a-precious-legacy/