From Court Archives to the Stage: The Story of Nora Parham

A decades-old Belizean tragedy is returning to the stage as playwright and director Ray Gongora prepares to debut A Woman Called Nora, a production based on the life of Nora Parham and the court transcripts surrounding her 1963 murder case. The play, which will be staged by Square Peg Renaissance and raise funds for the Optimist Club of Belize 501, draws directly from archival records and witness testimony to tell the story of a mother of eight who endured years of domestic abuse before her life ended in tragedy. Gongora says the production aims to give Parham a voice and bring renewed attention to issues of domestic violence that remain relevant today.

 

Ray Gongora, Playwright

“You’re getting the raw footage from, the raw transcript from the trial, and this is coming to stage. And honestly, sitting there you might at times think that this is not real. Did this actually happen? Did these people actually say this? So I didn’t make up any of this that’s happening because it was the stenographer that created this script. This is the real thing coming out of the witness’s mouth that testified, from the policemen, from the neighbors. It’s unbelievable. When you look at this play and when you sit in the audience, might offend you. You might not want to believe what you see. You might start to think that I made up much of these. You might get so emotionally involved that you probably will blame the writer or the actor, the actor, and the actresses for what you’re believing and going through, and that’s because these, these actors and actresses are bringing it across so real. They’re showing the spirit, and they’re bringing out a hidden truth that happened in 1963.”

 

The play will be staged at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts in Belize City on September eleventh and thirteenth, before touring Belmopan, Dangriga, and Punta Gorda, with tickets available through designated outlets in each location.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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