Veteran playwright Ronald Hollingsworth launches “The Reckoning”

Before The Reckoning could become the most personal story he had ever shared with the public, veteran Guyanese playwright and director Ronald Hollingsworth first needed the approval of the woman who had lived it with him. The memoir lays bare the triumphs that shaped his career but also the failures that nearly destroyed his marriage. It recounts how the pressures of theatre, education and ambition drove him to the brink of losing everything, including becoming involved in a relationship that would have resulted in a child outside of his marriage.
For more than four decades, Hollingsworth has balanced two callings, education and theatre. Although widely recognised across Guyana, he admits that many people know his name but have never had the chance to put a face to the celebrated playwright, director, and educator whose work has helped shape the country’s theatrical landscape. Hollingsworth began his professional career as a teacher in Guyana more than 40 years ago before expanding his role in education as a lecturer at the Cyril Potter College of Education. There, he also served as drama coordinator within the Education Ministry’s Unit of Allied Arts, becoming one of the founding members responsible for developing the programme.
At the same time, Hollingsworth was building a name for himself in theatre. What began as an interest during his school years evolved into acting and directing at the Theatre Guild of Guyana, where he initially staged productions drawn from English literature. His creative direction shifted after witnessing the impact of playwright Harold Bascom’s Guyanese productions, which demonstrated that local stories could resonate just as deeply, if not more, with audiences than traditional English plays.
Ironically though, Hollingsworth never set out to pursue theatre. While attending Allen’s High School, he frequently returned after classes to pick up his then-girlfriend, who was a member of a theatre group led by his mentor. Noticing his regular visits, he was invited to join the group. Rather than placing him on stage, the veteran director encouraged him to observe rehearsals, allowing him to learn the craft of directing by watching productions unfold and offering feedback. The experience sparked a passion for theatre that would shape the course of his life, that was where the spark for writing and stage directing began.
Hollingsworth explained that media professionals played an important role in encouraging him as a playwright by consistently reviewing his productions and recognising the quality of his work. He even credited the Guyana Times for its strong work in journalism and seeking to uncover stories such as the one he has to tell.
“You guys give us time like you’re doing right now. There are people in the media who are very interested in finding out about this other side of the economy, this other side of a nation – the creative side. Every production I staged would be reviewed, and over the years they kept saying that Till the Final Place was one of my best.” Despite the professional success, the greatest struggle was taking place at home.
“My wife was only 21. When theatre started to kick up steam and my name was out there, my plays were doing well, everything was working; I started slipping into a different kind of person that she could not recognise. She couldn’t recognise the man she had married. That stress came upon my marriage. At one time it got so bad. That’s why I put it in the book as a reckoning for me. I had to come very clean on this. I was going to have a child outside of the marriage. I wrote about it in the book. I wouldn’t tell you what happened – you’ve got to read the book for yourself.”
“People are like, ‘Wow, I don’t believe all of this,’ because a lot of people knew my wife. I have to say this, though. My wife passed away in January this year. I was glad she was able to read the book.” For Hollingsworth, her approval meant everything.
“When she read the book, I had to get her blessing to write about her in it. I was glad that she was able to reconcile everything. She looked at me and said, ‘Boy, you remember all these things?’ I didn’t even know she had forgotten and put all that aside just to let me do what I do best. That chapter – Deep Trouble in My Domestic Domain – grips me every time I try to read it. I can hardly find the words even now.”
Hollingsworth officially showcased The Reckoning on Saturday during a Wine and Sign event at the Theatre Guild of Guyana. As part of the event, he also showed clips from the original stage productions of several of his plays, including Watch the Ride, Marriage After Death, My Second Wife, Viagra, and Grandad’s Day Out. The Reckoning is also available for purchase on Amazon, where the hardcover edition retails for approximately US$25 and the paperback for about US$22.99. However, patrons attending Saturday’s Wine and Sign event will be able to purchase copies for GY$4000 at a discounted price. He added that one of his main goals is to encourage members of the public and corporate sponsors to purchase copies for schools so that more young people can benefit from the book.