Just check the last CXC and C-SEC awards and you’ll know that Saint John’s College is a national powerhouse when it comes to education. But the school’s talent isn’t limited to the classroom. This weekend SJC students will taking it to the stage. The school has hired a creative arts director and revived its drama group. This weekend the drama club will be putting on it first show – which is a fundraiser. It’s called “the chosen one” and it was written and produced by the Creative Arts Director Joseph Stamp. We stopped by the junior college’s student center this afternoon for a preview.
Joseph Stamp, Creative Arts Director
“It’s a comedy. It is based on religion. It is a comedy where you will see the characters actually getting on stage and having fun and just trying to express the artistic side of SJC.”
Michael Kemp, Student
“In the play I am Moses, the main character. I come back from Jamaica to Belize to pretty much bring redemption to my neighbourhood but that doesn’t work out because the whole premise of it isn’t correct because God never really appears to me as such.”
Kayla Arnold, Student
“I play a customer in the play. Pretty much my role is just a saucy person who just torments preacher as he is called and I basically an interfering neighbour who always sees things.
I like drama and when I came back here and Mr. Stamp started a drama group I just jumped at the opportunity very quickly and also because it is a great extra curricular activity and builds a lot of skills.”
Michael Kemp,
“I like the idea that we have a drama club wanting to do a production. It is our first production so we are actually pioneering and I like to be the first in everything. Well it’s all about creating the balance. We learn here that life isn’t just about academics, you have the extra curricular parts, you have the sports parts, although I am not really a sports person, so I am more into drama and you have the whole spiritual part. It is you finding that balance in between.”
Joseph Stamp,
“SJC is definitely going to grow with the arts, it is going to be balanced institution. Young people here are really into it, the drama club, I got a real good drama team and they are enthused about it and so it is definitely going to put a fun side to SJC when they can put down the books in the evening time and they can have something else to express themselves through. So I think it is definitely going to put us and the kids on a new level.”
As we mentioned the play is being staged as a fundraiser to help 8 year old Nicole Manzanilla - a kidney patient in Corozal. Joseph Stamp told us more.
Joseph Stamp,
“Each club at SJC JC is responsible for doing a community service project and so this project was brought to us, the project to provide funds to this young lady from Corozal who recently got a kidney transplant. Godfrey Sosa, who was helped with a kidney, had this idea that this is a project that you guys could probably take on and so the group decided that this sounds like a real good project and it holds up to the SJC motto so we decided to take on the project.”
Part of the proceeds will also go towards a toy drive. Saturday’s show begins at 7 pm and it will be held at the SJC Gym.
