Senate Resolution No. 3137

BY: Senator PARKER

MOURNING the death of Tony Hall, prominent
Trinidad and Tobago playwright, screenwriter, actor
and director, and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding members of our community who,
through their selfless commitment and dedication, have served to better
the quality of life in our community and have had a measurable positive
impact on the lives of its residents; Tony Hall was one such individual;
and

WHEREAS, It is with great sorrow and deep regret that this
Legislative Body records the passing of Tony Hall, noting the
significance of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, A pillar of Trinidad and Tobago's film and theatre
community - actor, playwright and director Tony Hall - died on Monday,
April 27, 2020, leaving the heart of a nation in pieces; he was 71 years
old; and

WHEREAS, Tony Hall dedicated his life to the performing arts,
writing both stage and screenplays, directing theatrical and film works,
and often appearing on stage and screen as an actor or interviewer; and

WHEREAS, After receiving his bachelor's degree in drama and
education from the University of Alberta in 1973, Tony Hall began to
work in community theatre in Canada; during this time, he also did work
in prisons, where he created workshops for the inmates, using role-play
as a technique; and

WHEREAS, A lifelong learner who enjoyed the questions just as much
as the answers, Tony Hall earned a diploma in film and advanced
television production from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
in 1980; and

WHEREAS, Both of these qualifications served Tony Hall well when he
returned home and became an integral part of the pioneering group of
television producers who created "Gayelle", a cultural magazine-type
series which began to transform the landscape of regional television in
the mid-1980s; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, for many years, Tony Hall apprenticed as an
actor and director with Nobel laureate Sir Derek Walcott in the seminal
Trinidad Theatre Workshop (TTW), where he performed in the world
premiere of Walcott's "The Joker of Seville" and "O' Babylon" (1975-81);
and

WHEREAS, In a career which spanned five decades in various media,
nothing Tony Hall worked on was short of original ideas; some of his
most recognized pieces of work, staged through his Lordstreet Theatre
Company, include the critically acclaimed play "Jean and Dinah", "The
Brand New Lucky Diamond Horseshoe Club", and "Miss Miles, Woman of the
World", a play based on the life of Trinidadian political whistleblower

Gene Miles; he also co-directed the award-winning BBC/Banyan
documentary, "And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon"; and

WHEREAS, This extraordinary man also contributed as lecturer and
arts facilitator at many institutions in the United States and Europe,
as well as the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) and The
University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine; and

WHEREAS, Tony Hall's inimitable style truly left its mark on members
of the regional and international arts community; he is survived by his
wife, Mary, and two children; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Tony Hall leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the
passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he served
and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Tony Hall, prominent Trinidad and Tobago playwright,
screenwriter, actor, and director, and devoted member of his community;
and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Tony Hall.