Richardo Keens-Douglas
Richardo Keens-Douglas,
born in 1953, is a Canadian film and stage actor.
Richardo Keens-Douglas is one of Canada's best known names in
storytelling circles as well as in literature and art. He is
also very well known for his work as an actor, playwright,
television and radio host. He was born in the fifties in the
southern Caribbean island of Grenada commonly known as the “Isle
of Spice”, and spent his childhood there. He is the youngest of
seven brothers and sisters, including popular Trinidadian
writer, Paul Keens-Douglas. His love of acting and performing
blossomed at a young age and when he was seventeen,
Keens-Douglas moved to Montreal to attend Dawson Theater
School.Continuing his love affair with the stage, he went on to
perform at the Ontario’s Stratford Festival. But when he came up
against the systemic racism that existed within the performing
arts in Canada at that time, he made a decision to concentrate
on writing and performing his own material.
A review of Keens-Douglas’ work and themes
shows that he is mainly inspired to bring to life the stories of
the Caribbean -- to the stage and to the page. He emphasizes the
mystical and magical art of oral culture and storytelling, not
only in English, but also in French and Spanish. Most of his
work has been published by Annick Press and is written mainly
for young adults, although he is well known for his work for
children.
His first book, The Nutmeg Princess has a very
important message: “Follow your dreams, and if you believe in
yourself all things are possible.” Two of his other works for
children, La Diablesse and the Baby and Freedom Child of the Sea
can all be found in the anthology, Tales from the Isle of Spice
(2004). Keens-Douglas performs his children's stories at schools
and universities and draws on a diversity of sources that
include anthologies, his poetry and his musical performances.
Over the years, Keens-Douglas’s career has spanned working on
the stage and in films across Canada. His latest musical play,
St. George's: Aye Yay Yay Ivan was performed in Toronto in 2005
to raise funds for hurricane-hit Grenada. Other plays written
and acted in by Keens-Douglas include the stage rendition of his
book The Nutmeg Princess; Mama God, Papa God; and the well known
production, Playboy of the West Indies. Keens-Douglas has hosted
the CBC radio program, Cloud Nine and has also written for
radio. Titles include Tell me a Tale, Once Upon an Island and
Caribbean Cindy.
Keens-Douglas has received many awards for
his work in theatre and his literary work. He received a
nomination for the Dora Mavor Moore in 1985 for best actor in
his personally penned musical The Obeah Man. He won the same
award in 2000 for his musical rendition of his first children's
book, The Nutmeg Princess. This play was also a finalist in 2000
for the Chalmers Canadian Play Awards. His 1991 play, Once Upon
an Island was nominated for a Sterling Award for best touring
production.
For his literary work, Keens-Douglas won a
Storytelling World Honor Award for La Diablesse and the Baby,
his second book for children. He also won the Oak Adult Literacy
Book Award for Tales from the Isle of Spice, an award sponsored
by the Ontario Library Association.
Bibliography
Tales from the Isle of Spice, Annick Press 2004
Anancy and
the Haunted House, Annick Press 2002
The Trial of the Stone,
Annick Press 2000
The Miss Meow Pageant, Annick Press 1998
Grandpa's Visit, Annick Press 1996
Freedom Child of the Sea,
Annick Press 1995
La Diablesse and the Baby, Annick Press
1994
La Diablesse et le Bebé, Annick Press 1994
The Nutmeg
Princess, Annick Press 1992
El misterio de la isla de las
especias, Annick Press 1992
Le mystère de l'île aux épices,
Annick Press 1992
Audio
An excerpt from the book
"Mama God and Papa God" by Ricardo Keens-Douglas (mp3) Listen
Read (PDF) Read (HTML)
Honours & Awards
Nominated for Dora Mavor Moore Award for
best actor, 1985, for The Obeah Man; Storytelling World Honor
Award for tellable stories for ages four through nine, 1995, for
La Diablesse and the Baby; Silver Birch Award finalist, 1996,
for Freedom Child of the Sea; Gemini Award nomination for best
host in an arts program, for Sunday Arts Entertainment.
Any contributions to this item will be
gratefully accepted
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