Write to Stage 2025 ends with Sonia Yarde’s explosive thriller

The National Cultural Centre erupted with tension and applause on November 16 as Sonia Yarde’s explosive thriller The Colour of Race 2, brought the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s 2025 Write to Stage Theatre Support Programme to a powerful close.

According to the Ministry, the play centred around two families, one of Indian descent and the other of African descent, their disdain for each other because of race, and their desperation to separate their children, Michelle, played by Allia George, and Jairam, played by Ken Sahadeo, who had fallen in love.
The two mothers, Patsy, played by Odessa Duncan, and Sunita, played by Marissa-Ann Bonie, convinced that they were protecting their families, fought tooth and nail, and tried every trick in the book to separate the two. Eventually, with the insistence of their children, they would both agree to a marriage, but with secret, sinister plans that would lead to the tragic end of the lives of their children.
The play is the ninth production to be held under the Write to Stage Theatre Support Programme, which was introduced by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport in 2022 to resuscitate high-quality theatre in Guyana and to stage the winning collection of Guyana Prize plays, many of which had never been seen by public audiences. The first play under the initiative “Sauda” by Mosa Telford was staged in 2023.
The Write to Stage Theater Support programme is part of a larger thrust by the Government of Guyana to support Creatives and the development of the industry. The support from the Ministry has been both financial and kind. All fees for the National Cultural Centre are waived; all the production costs and advertising are paid by the Ministry. Additionally, all the gate receipts for the sale of tickets are given to the production and performing crews. Consequently, this has significantly boosted the income of theatre professionals and has provided them with consistent opportunities to earn a living. An analysis of the sector has revealed that producers and performers are earning a higher rate of income from the theatre fraternity than they have ever earned in the history of theatre in Guyana. Further, the quality of the plays and acting is at an all-time high. This is mirrored by the numerous positive reviews of the audience.