letter to a hopeful artist; written for me!

this is an open letter a theatre practitioner i love+respect wrote me and publicly posted after a performance we did together las' year; been meaning to repost here, not to brag, but so that on the days i feel listless, uninspired, uncreative, untalented, i can be reminded that i am capable of great things and make meself get back up+make/art/wuk...so, for those[me] who sometimes[often] need reminding that what we do is worthwhile+appreciated,

OPEN LETTER TO ELISHA EFUA BARTELS as MEDEA
in the Trinidad Theatre Workshop TTW staged reading of:
CARNIVAL MEDEA : A Bacchanal
by
Rhoma Spencer and Shirlene Holmes
Adapted from the Euripides Tragedy

That you, Bartels Efua Elisha, should have risen so gloriously, like a full moon in Petit Carême season, cannot be lightly considered.

That you brought with your sudden, much-needed arrival in Rhoma's production, the political attributes of a Walcott-trained thespian dispensing concision and impromptuality - Medea-style - even before you subsumed yourself into the sacrificial role, attests to your dignified understanding of your own personal weddinged pain and your carefully-nurtured, experiential collection of a Caribbean-styled Aristotelian theatre at its best.

Peradventure, to say your personal presentation of Medea was "Wonderful!" is a politically-distracting understatement - an inverted euphemism of sorts - that lends artificial credibility to the sacredness of what can be only equated to your soulful offertory of a holy and religiously-ecstatic portrayal of a practiced Bunraku artist. The Japanese would snap you up in a second...despite their gendered preference!!!

Would that you continue to present yourself as Peter Brook's empty space while "crossing the abyss on a tightrope...!"

I have become languid of the kitchen-sink dramatists of recent vintage and had surrendered my carefully-honed artistic sensibilities back to their original muse... but last night... they were resurrected!!... by your touching, sensitive kaleidscopic painting, of a classic tragic heroine named Medea, on the canvas of my mind.

For that, I celebrate you and pronounce your name publicly. Continue the greatness, chile!

Love, Strength and Powers!!!

Che Rodriguez.

walk good.