DIRECTORS

Carlos Alexander is a theatre practitioner, director, educator, and cultural activist with decades of experience in performance, directing, and youth theatre development in Trinidad and Tobago. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA), where he completed Directing I and Directing II as part of the BA in Theatre Arts programme. These courses emphasise both theoretical grounding and practical application, culminating in public showcases such as the Festival of Scenes and the New Directors’ Forum: A Festival of Plays, where emerging directors stage work for public audiences.

He is a founding member and Director of the award-winning Tête-À-Tête Theatre, a company recognised for its commitment to artistic excellence, socially engaged storytelling, and the development of Caribbean theatre practice.

Carlos began his journey in theatre as an actor with the Plaisance Park Methodist Church Drama Group, later expanding his role to include playwriting and directing. Under his leadership, the group grew beyond the church community to involve young people from the wider area, evolving into the Plaisance Park Drama Group, a platform dedicated to community-based theatre and youth empowerment.

He was also a member of the Art-in-Action performance team, which travelled across the country using Popular Theatre techniques to inform and educate communities on a range of social issues, further grounding his work in theatre as a tool for education and social change.

As a director and educator, Carlos has made a significant and sustained contribution to schools’ theatre in Trinidad and Tobago. He prepared the students of Naparima Girls’ High School for the Secondary Schools Drama Festival for over twenty years and, more recently, has worked with Couva East Secondary School and Tableland Secondary School as director for their festival entries. His work at the festival has been recognised with three Best Director awards and three Best Production awards.

Carlos Alexander continues to be an influential force in theatre education and production, combining artistic rigour, community engagement, and mentorship to nurture the next generation of theatre practitioners.

Among his duties, Dean manages the company’s bank account and cash flow, and meets with fellow Directors to discuss future projects and strategic planning for the company. However, Dean's connection to the performing arts runs much deeper, stemming from a remarkable career spanning approximately 47 years in the theatre industry of Trinidad and Tobago. 

His journey began at the tender age of seven, participating in the national music festival at Queen's Hall with his primary school. His passion for performance expanded when he was introduced to dance through the Scout Association, leading him to join the Diego Martin Folk Performers. There, he showcased his versatile talents as a dancer, singer, and actor in the annual Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition, a stage he graced with various groups over the years. 

Mr. Rayside's dance career further flourished with the Hummingbird Dance Company and numerous other contemporary and folk dance companies and theatre organisations across Trinidad and Tobago. He later became an integral part of the renowned Julia Edwards Dance Troupe, performing both locally and internationally. His dedication also saw him involved with the Trinidad Theatre Workshop and pursuing a course in Technical Theatre at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Beyond performance, his commitment to the arts is evident in his participation in organisations like the National Drama Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDATT) and the National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and he is also a founding member of Footprints, a dance company based in Diego Martin. 

A pivotal chance meeting with the manager at Little Carib Theatre introduced him to the world of technical theatre. Mr. Rayside dedicated many years as the Lighting Board Operator at the Little Carib Theatre, concurrently serving as a stagehand and stage manager for countless productions throughout Trinidad and Tobago, and even in North America. 

His expertise eventually led him to Queen’s Hall, Trinidad and Tobago’s premier theatre facility. Beginning as an on-call stagehand, he steadily advanced to the position of Assistant Stage Manager, and presently holds the esteemed role of Theatre Stage Manager at Queen’s Hall.

Eric brings something new with each play that Tête-À-Tête Théâtre does. From comedy to drama, musical theatre to radio serial, he has covered many genres to the delight of audiences. Beyond his work with Tête-À-Tête Théâtre, Eric's diverse writing talents have significantly impacted the local and regional media landscape. 

For close to 25 years, Eric honed his craft in the advertising industry as a Copywriter, also serving as a Production Manager for 21 of those years. His extensive experience in radio drama includes penning The Rough Season (2004), a 10-part radio soap opera on hurricane preparedness for the Caribbean region. This ambitious project was a collaboration with Arts In Action (University of the West Indies), The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). He further contributed to the medium with Hush (2009), a 6-part radio soap opera addressing child sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS. Produced by Arts in Action for "Break the Silence" – a project of the Institute of Gender and Development Studies (UWI) in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Toco Foundation – "Hush" was funded by UNICEF and the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. 

Eric was commissioned by the estate of Godfrey Sealey to complete his play Paradise Garage from Sealey's notes, a work that went on to win the Most Outstanding Script at the Cacique Awards in 2007. His foray into television comedy saw him as a co-writer on “The Ro’dey Show” in 2019. 

A testament to his profound storytelling ability, Eric was named the Regional Winner (Caribbean) of the prestigious BBC International Radio Playwriting Competition in 2020 for his compelling play “Delicia Brings Home the Rainbow.” This acclaimed story powerfully explores the collision of tradition and identity, where a Caribbean family must confront love, truth, and acceptance in the face of generational, cultural, and personal change. 

More recently, in 2021, Eric secured 2nd place in the Prime Minister's Best Village Trophy Competition’s Playwriting Competition with his allegorical play, “The Virus,” which explored Trinidad and Tobago society during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2024, “The Virus” was successfully staged at the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition, where Eric also directed and played the lead role, with the production earning a commendable 3rd place.