You’ve got to envy the life of a man who starts out as a missionary school teacher Out of Africa, gets to be High Commissioner to a Constant Gardener and still manages to get himself caught up in A Hijacking, as captain of a Danish ship taken by Somali pirates.
That’s about a tenth of Keith Pearson’s filmography. His involvement in the theatre (producing, directing and acting) is even more extensive, featuring in everything from Shakespearean plays to The Vagina Monologues in a career spanning over thirty years. International shows such as Animal Farm, Death and the Maiden, Kothbiro, Shungwaaya and a host of others premiered in Kenya with his participation.
Industry whispers speculate that he has an extra chamber in his heart exclusively dedicated to pumping creative juices of the performance variety through the veins.
But then, Keith went to school for this sort of thing, earning an M.A. in Theatre Practice from Exeter University in 1998, and soon after co-founded The Theatre Company (TTC), an outfit based in a country retreat – Karichota – in Naro Moru (Mt. Kenya), and active in performance development and training. He’s a published poet, short story writer and playwright. His recent work, Karichota Dreaming – Poems and Images, can be acquired in a simple two-step process here.
Still, that’s just an eighth of it; he’s taken up a variety of roles, in training, writing, facilitating, consulting et al, working with a spread of organizations including the Kenya Film Commission, MNET, UNICEF, the Globe to Globe Project, and numerous NGOs, while maintaining a keen interest in social work.
At the core of Keith’s professional life is theatre practice and performance in general. He’s been known to quip, “Theatre is about truth, where is your truth?” He observes that the main areas of concern for any performer are the nature of the voice, use of the body to express ideas and the ability to utilize the imagination to bring the audience into the excitement of the performance.
Through TTC, Keith has been instrumental in helping nurture these abilities in performance artists throughout the country. He’s famed for his knack of using the devised work technique to teach acting, voice work, public speaking, improvisation, storytelling, dance and movement and writing. As is, producers and directors have lauded his efforts, noting that TTC alumni display a refreshing creativity and keen understanding of the craft.
It’s been said that “…all the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.” It follows that honing performance skills is not the preserve of film, television or theatre professionals. These role-playing skills have proven useful in fostering collaboration, problem solving, persuasion, negotiation and even boosting self-confidence.
Keith Pearson will be sharing his vast knowledge and experience in a Drama Workshop at the Festival Thursday, the 28th of September. It promises to be a fun, engaging learning experience.
(The Theatre Company will also produce all-day pop up events and a number of theatrical gems for your after-work enjoyment. See premium events at festival program.)
