Ward Theatre waits for curtains to go up again

"All the world's a stage ... ." The words echo from William Shakespeare's As You Like It. For the Ward Theatre, the stage is the world from which voices echoed, scenes were enacted, and emotions played out to a rousing audience.

All that echoes now are sounds of silence, ricocheting from the dark and dim emptiness, and rays of sunlight that permeate the doors and dissipate into the opulent interiors. Charles James Ward built the present structure, its third avatar, in 1912, the theatre opened its doors on December 16 of the same year.

Ward, who was the custos of Kingston, is the 'Nephew' in the rum manufacturing company J. Wray & Nephew, which provided the enabling funds.

"The Ward Theatre is a magnificent structure, with history written deep into its fabric", said Doreen Thompson of the Ward Theatre Foundation. The Ward Theatre, over the decades, has had its share of anticlimaxes.

Here once stood Kingston Theatre, built in 1775, and was destroyed by fire; to be replaced by Theatre Royal, which was razed to the ground after the 1907 earthquake. Since opening its doors in 1912, the Ward Theatre has been instrumental in preserving, nurturing, and sustaining the culture and heritage of Jamaica.

Numerous dance and drama groups from across the world have graced the stage and enthralled audiences.

Still magnificent
But in the fast-evolving world around it, the Ward Theatre got buried somewhere in the annals of history.

Still magnificent, it only has a film of dust and emptiness to give it company. The glass doors at the entrance, some of which are closed, others with broken panes and one ajar, let in an occasional visitor, but mostly elements of nature and the echoes of the hustle and bustle of downtown Kingston.

Divided on three levels, the lobby on the ground, the Parquette, is adorned by photos of the theatre and music greats who have performed in the theatre over the years. The two upper levels, Dress Circle and Gallery, have separate entrances and exits.

The grandiose interior, though hiding behind the dusty darkness, can't be ignored, it is visible as soon as one enters the auditorium from the Parquette, which slopes down to an orchestra pit at the base of a wooden stage.

The high, intricately designed crown-moulded dome ceiling is awe-inspiring, though some chunks of it have peeled and now hang precariously, exposing the roof above. Every inch of this sanctum is a remnant of the emotions and the drama that would have been played out on the stage.

Adapting to survive
A sole arc light stands on the sidelines of the stage, merged with the blackness of its dark surroundings, waiting to be plugged in and turned back on again to shine the spotlight.

"It (the Ward Theatre) has always had to adapt to survive as Jamaica's premier national theatre," said Jonathan Greenland, a director of the Ward Theatre Foundation, which is, over the years, trying to restore it to former glory.

"She now has to adapt again."

According to Greenland, the theatre has to appeal to many different audiences and serve many different functions.

"We have been working to both restore the historic building and also raise it to a 21st-century standard," Thompson informed. The theatre, grounded in rich history, is looking for Act IV to open to the audiences. This a place where people see movie premieres, hear talks, listen to music, do workshops, watch plays, as well as a learning space where youngsters learn all the aspects of the performing arts.

"It can be done," says Greenland.

And this institution, which embraced and fostered talent for centuries, is in need of some tender loving care herself, like a mother who, in her old age needs her children and grandchildren to hold her hand and comfort her.

"Generations as yet unborn will never forgive us if we allow the Ward Theatre to collapse," said Vivian Crawford, deputy chairman of the Ward Theatre Foundation. "It forms an indispensable part of our tangible and intangible heritage."