Written By Nimuthu Pathiraja (Web Content Team)
On the 29th of January, Trinity College Kandy received an excellent opportunity to learn about the Art of Drama in a workshop by popular and accomplished actor Mr. Kenneth De Abrew, at the college main hall. The event saw the participation of multiple students interested in thespian display, including members of the DRAMSC as well as Drama students of the O/Level section.
Mr. De Abrew is a world-renowned actor who has played roles in multiple successful film franchises including Mulan, 4th Man Out, Someone Great and many more. Mr. De Abrew, an alumnus of Trinity, was first exposed to acting through school plays and inter-school drama competitions – emphasising the ability for Trinity to inspire, motivate and guide. Later, he moved to the United States to pursue his passion for acting. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Zoology at Ohio Wesleyan University and later earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Louisiana State University. He has performed in numerous Shakespearean plays, including Macbeth, The Tempest, and Love’s Labour’s Lost.
In 2000, Mr. Kenneth left school after bringing much pride to his alma mater. Twenty-five years later, on that crisp Wednesday evening, the historic floorboards on the college stage were greeted with his graceful style of acting once again, the style of acting which took Mr. Kenneth to the pinnacle of Drama and Acting, performing with the best of the best at locations like Hollywood. As Mr. Kenneth stood on a stage which has an unprecedented legacy to boast about, it inspired all those in the audience to reach the possible heights of theatre.
The entirety of the evening was lit up with moments of learning for those present – since Mr. De Abrew ensured that the session was interesting and engaging with regular activities such as testing Trinity’s budding actors’ vocal ranges and responsiveness, encouraging the audience to act on stage, with tests in between.
In addition to the delightful light-hearted segment of the event, Mr. De Abrew also spoke for several informative moments which included a Q&A session and tips on how to be a better actor, such as how to improve vocal projection and target individual members of the audience. Furthermore, Mr. Kenneth gave valuable advice on how to be better at acting out Shakespearean acts, which was undoubtedly significant because of the tremendous role Shakespeare played in Drama.
Thus, Mr. De Abrew’s visit to college was beyond beneficial to all those in attendance, and we would like to thank for the commitments he made to ensure that the future of Drama remains intact at Trinity and the Globe at large.
