Peter Odotte most likely to secure second term at Little Theatre Club Mombasa

 

Oduor Odote LTC Chairman going throught LTC notes with Hon. Najib Balala

When visiting the Little Theatre Club this past April, it was different from many visits before – there was a buzz of activities including the media launch and subsequent performance of Kuldip Sondhi’s Jan Geronimo on little talked Mombasa Martyrs.

During the Easter weekend there were other music concerts performed by young but talented Coast based artistes and here was no doubt the Little Theatre Club was undergoing a renaissance.

When Sondhi’s play hit the stage, it was a full house and among the attendees was Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar.

Mr Omar had formed a culture of not only attending shows there but had also bought over 25 tickets to theatre goers in every show.

“I think it is a good thing I have this theatre alive. It showcases our heritage but above all it keeps the youth engaged creatively,” he told this write as he distributed tickets he had bought to some goers at the LTC foyer after the show.

That same week Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala had visited the facility to show solidarity with the programmes at the theatre and committed to exposing some of the repertoire in travel magazines so as to alert tourists of the ongoing at the theatre.

So, when the growing interest and robust of the theatre today?

One of the most important development to ever sustained the theatre to date was Mr Balala’s bold initiative to gazette the theatre as a national heritage and protected facility when he was Culture Minister during the Coalition government of Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki.

That one move saved the theatre from unscrupulous private developers who had earmarked it for grabbing.

The second phenomenon is the current management team of Chairman Peter Odote and Committee member Gilbert Owino who has not only mobilised resources form government and private sector, but has also opened the facility to young and upcoming thespians.

Notable developments include the refurbishment of the theatre seats with new covers and unprecedented comfort.

The team has also seen a new electric system that conserves power and therefore taken care of huge electricity bills that had impeded a better utilization if not optimization of the facility.

The duo together with the entire team has formed a winning formula that will be expected to continue when elections are held on Monday during the Annual General Meeting.

Chairman Odotte’s leadership has shown that when the committee is led by artistes things run better as opposed to outsiders who at times are more interested in the business of the Club Bar where palm wine flows freely.

Mr Odotte has shown that LTC can run successfully both as a creative centre and a socialization where a melting pot of cultures brew to bring the Mombasa theatre scene alive.

Ordinarily Mr. Odote works as one of the Principal Research Scientists at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research institute.

In his one year tenure, he ensured that he anchored the club back to its main objective of promotion of theatre and the arts.

In meeting the objective of the club, managed to produce 4 of her own plays in the year namely Don’t Lose The Place, Death and the Maiden, Kiosk and a Christmas play.

Odotte managed to create some harmony and gelling of all the other theatre groups actively participating in plays at Little Theatre Club.

One strategy to achieve this was to market all plays uniformly at theatre club which has now led to a more grown audience base.

This seems to have cured the disease he feared in Mombasa theatre known as ADS (Audience Deficiency Syndrome). 

He achieved a lot in creating awareness of the LTC activities be they plays, entertainment including Karaoke.

He is now at the centre of organizing the first theatre festival in Mombasa from Little Theatre Club in early December this year.

They have managed through the trustee Kuldip Sondhi to reach the highest office in the land and to articulate needs of the club in terms of infrastructure development including the Sports, Culture and the Arts Cabinet Secretary Dr Hassan Wario.

He has engaged with the county government and frequent visits by relevant county executives especially for youth and sports executive, tourism and culture executive and occasionally finance executive could lead to funding of the equipment for the studio having been put up by the Mvita Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

The cosy bar and restaurant has not been ignored as the menu was revised, promotions take place and various entertainments especially on Fridays are normally on the cards.

Mr Odotte and his team have proposals on how to engage and enhance youth talent for improved livelihoods and to participate in management of youth radicalization by having several engaging and productive programmes for the youth.

These are detailed in the strategic documents he has fully and partly authored.

He is creating the LTC website in which the festival will be anchored.

With a new term Odotte and his team will be ever to live the dream for infrastructure improvement of the club and has proposed and waiting for funding for major infrastructure improvements.

“I would like to have an Auditorium overhaul including lights, sound, seats, Open air Amphitheatre, Mobile stage, improved and more secure Perimeter wall, Cabro carpeting for front parking, solar powered garden lights, landscaping, CCTV in strategic areas, overhaul of washrooms, kitchen, furniture, generator as well as equipment for studio upgrading and most importantly revolving fund for productions,” he says.