Trini, Grenadian storytellers to perform at Marriott Hotel ballroom on June 17

Two of the Caribbean’s best storytellers – Paul Keens Douglas from Trinidad and his brother, Richardo Keens Douglas from Grenada – will be performing at the Marriott Hotel for a special Father’s Day event to give Guyanese families good wholesome entertainment, courtesy of GEMS Theatre Productions.
Two shows will be help on Father’s Day which is observed on June 17 at 17:00h and 20:00h.
Guyanese Leza Singh will be the MC for the evening. GEMS Theatre Productions has been host for Paul Keens Douglas and his “Talk Tent” team from 2003 to 2009 and in 2005, they staged “Laugh Tent” with Richardo Keens Douglas.
Paul and Richardo Keens Douglas will be teaming up for the first time in Guyana, in “Two of a Kind”, with Farida Chapman and Avion Crooks from his “Talk Tent” fame which has been staged annually for the past 40 years in Trinidad.
Paul Keens-Douglas was born in Trinidad and grew up in Grenada. He has been writing and performing since 1974. He found his niche in storytelling when Louise Bennett gave workshops around the Caribbean and encouraged everyone to not only write poems in standard English but to write in their dialect.
Paul took up the challenge and has delighted audiences over the years with his poems and short stories – “Tanti at de Oval”, “Tanti and de Renovations”, “Tim Tim”, “Lal Shop”, and “Choir Practice” just to name a few. He uses current and local events as the basis of his stories so one can identify with the characters.
He is well learned as he holds diplomas in Commercial Broadcasting and Radio and Television Production, an Honours Degree in Sociology, and has done two years post-graduate work at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Paul Keens-Douglas was active in drama from an early age and has a wide and varied background in theatre and the creative arts.
Through his colourful characters: “Tantie Merle”, “Vibert”, “Tim Tim”, “Slim” and “Tall Boy” among others, Paul has used his personal experiences and keen eye to chronicle life in the West Indies.
When he transferred his degree to Trinidad, Paul found a job at Rediffusion, finding time in studio to write short stories, among them the popular “Tantie at D Oval”.
When Rediffusion closed down, Paul moved to Radio Trinidad where he found a platform for his stories. Forced to continue writing when appeals to the public to send in theirs didn’t pan out, he eventually collected so much work that he decided to publish them in a book called When Moon Shine and stage a show called “Tim Tim” (patois for Once Upon A Time) at the Little Carib Theatre to read the stories.
“I formed a group called ‘Creola’. We had writers, a choir and actors. We did the first show and I taped it and I decided to make an LP just as a project and eventually it came back and that had “Tantie at D Oval” and that really started my career. It got a lot of airplay,” he recalled.

Richardo Keens-Douglas
Richardo was born in 1953 and has since returned to live on the island of Grenada, has worked as a performer in various capacities – as an actor, a radio personality, and as a storyteller.
His popularity with both children and adult audiences has made him a welcome performer, not only in Canada, where he made his home until 2003, but in other parts of the world as well. His hosting role on the Canada-wide broadcast of “Cloud 9” was a first for a performer of colour in that country.
He has also served as host of CBC-TV’s Sunday Arts Entertainment, a variety programme that earned Keens-Douglas a Gemini Award nomination.
In addition to being an author and performer, he also conducts a seminar titled “Creative Thinking through Storytelling and Self-Esteem” at workshops in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean, and is an often-requested inspirational speaker.
His books for children echo the beliefs he expresses through his storytelling performances: self-acceptance and learning to feel pride in being who you are.
By relating tales of life in the Caribbean and Canada, he teaches children about the importance of cultural heritage, encourages creative thinking, and broadens young imaginations.
Much of his energy and positivism, Keens-Douglas credits to his parents. “They taught me to believe in myself and be who I want to be,” he explained. “It is because of the strength I got as a child that I can express myself in so many ways.”
Work included in anthologies, including Take Five, Blizzard Press, and Fiery Spirits, HarperCollins (New York, NY). Author of plays “Once upon an Island” and “Tell a Tale”, produced on CBC-Radio (Canada). Author’s performance of “The Nutmeg Princess” was recorded on audio cassette.
Several of Keens-Douglas’s books for children have been translated into French, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese.
Amongst his most well-known books are The Nutmeg Princess, La Diablesse and the Baby, and Mama God, Papa God.
Farida Chapman is a veteran of “Talk Tent” and was outstanding in her recent performance at the post Carnival event in March 2018, as she placed a humorous twist to the sensitive topic of menopause.
Avion Crooks is a new comer to “Talk Tent” and performs the role of the character who we all hear about but never see “Tante Merle”.
Leza Singh is no stranger to the Guyanese audience and is well known as a stand-up comedienne and actress.