Information Americas, New York, NY, February 3, 2025: The Caribbean has misplaced one other cultural big with the passing of celebrated Guyanese actor, storyteller, and broadcaster, Ken Corsbie,whose work helped form Caribbean theatre.
Corsbie died on the age of 94 on February 3, 2025, at his residence within the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the place he had been residing together with his spouse, Elizabeth, for a number of years.
Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Corsbie’s numerous heritage – Chinese language, African, Welsh, Scottish, and Portuguese – mirrored the cultural melting pot he so passionately celebrated in his work. As he as soon as stated: “I’m a full blooded West Indian Stereotype – half Chinese language, half Scottish, half African, half Amerindian, half Welch.”
Along with being a pioneering artist, he was additionally a nationwide basketball participant and observe and subject athlete.
In 1959, at simply 29 years previous, Corsbie co-founded the Theatre Guild of Guyana, a serious milestone in Caribbean theatre historical past. He rapidly gained prominence as an actor, director, and producer, starring in quite a few productions earlier than incomes a theatre scholarship to England. Upon returning, he joined the Guyana Broadcasting Service, the place his radio documentary collection, “Challenge One,” took him throughout the Caribbean, deepening his appreciation for the area’s wealthy languages, music, and folklore.
His signature one-man present, “He-One,” together with “Dem-Two” and “All-Ah-We,” revolutionized Caribbean storytelling. Corsbie’s animated performances, humor, and deep cultural perception made him a beloved determine at festivals and theatre occasions throughout the area.
In 1978, disillusioned by the political local weather in Guyana, Corsbie relocated to Barbados, the place he continued to champion Caribbean theatre. He spearheaded the Theatre Info Change, mentored younger performers, and co-authored “Theatre within the Caribbean” (1983), one of many first books to doc the area’s evolving dramatic traditions. He additionally introduced the UNESCO-backed tv collection “Caribbean Eye,” which explored social and cultural themes throughout the islands. Corsbie received a number of awards profitable determine all through the English talking Caribbean and its North American diaspora, as dramatist, storyteller, radio producer/announcer, actor, journalist, tv presenter, humorist. His work is influenced by his Caribbean experiences and his residing in America for the previous twenty years. He additionally carried out extensively in America and Canada – in theatres, colleges, cafes, festivals, universities, libraries.
Corsbie’s passing has sparked an outpouring of tributes from throughout Guyana and the Caribbean. Colleagues, mates, and admirers bear in mind him for his vitality, wit, and unwavering dedication to Caribbean identification. In a 1993 interview with Caribbean Beat, Corsbie famously stated, “The Caribbean can uncover itself by way of theatre.” His phrases and work proceed to resonate throughout generations.
Ken Corsbie is survived by his spouse, Elizabeth, and a world neighborhood of admirers who discovered laughter, knowledge, and unity in his storytelling. His son, Len Corsbie, a artistic icon in his personal proper, handed away simply weeks earlier than him in January 2025, including to the sorrow of this super loss.
Corsbie’s legacy stays etched within the material of Caribbean arts, making certain that his voice, his tales, and his influence reside on for generations to come back.
Take a look at Corsbie in one among his stand-up exhibits right here:
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