“I remember Sugar Cane Arrows,” Pauline Mark muses. “No Boundaries. Calabash Alley. Believe it or not, I remember all these things.” The young actress must have been crawling around in front of the TV then, but consciously or subconsciously, she was caught in the sticky web of drama, from which she never wants to escape. “I grew up in a very creative family, although they didn’t acknowledge it. My grandfather was a traditional Carnival minstrel and my uncle is a wire bender. My mother was a seamstress and my father was a tailor, so it was always around me.” Sadly, their influence had little time to soak in, as Mark lost both her parents in early childhood. An aunt who cared for Mark focused on developing her studies. Her pleas for dance and drama classes were met with the practical, realistic advice that in Trinidad, careers in the arts were few, far between, and, most importantly, badly paid. But Mark’s dream didn’t die. “I wasn’t interested in anything else.”
When she was 20, she began secretly taking acting lessons at the San Fernando Theatre Workshop. It was a great experience being welcomed by people who shared her passion and intensity. She took part in her first few dramatic presentations, then went on to do a full degree course at UWI in Carnival Arts with a minor in Gender Studies, including components such as art administration, events management, history of Carnival and Caribbean culture. After this, Mark didn’t only have the love and determination for her craft, but the knowledge and certification to back it up. But the sweet thing about Carnival is that it isn’t confined to paper; Mark’s experiences with the festival are less about academics and more about performance. “I hold the NCBA Baby Doll title for 2010 and 2011,” she says proudly. “I always play Baby Doll. It’s a character that’s gendered, and you can approach it from a different perspective every time.”
Not the type to simply show up in a frilly dress with an old dolly under her arm, she approaches her character with thoughtfulness and respect. “In 2010 my theme was ‘HIV Baby’. My character was a former prostitute with an infected baby. I’ve also had a baby who was all colours of the rainbow, representing Trinidad.” The nuances of her characters show up in her dramatically delivered monologues. Mark’s love for the big stage, namely the streets of Port-of-Spain, doesn’t diminish how she feels about the small stage of local theatre and the even smaller eye of the film camera. “I prefer the screen. The kind of acting I’m really good at is better for the screen; it’s more honest. More subtle.”
She thinks there is real potential for furthering her career right here. “Contrary to popular belief, a local film industry does exist.” She’s won herself screen time in T&T films such as Cool Boys, Between Friends, and Shhushed. Her familiar face also appears in a few local TV ads.
But the jewel in her crown is without doubt her supporting role in the HIV-Aids docu-drama, Positive and Pregnant. It was her HIV Baby monologue that won her the role. The film aired recently at the New York International Independent Film Festival, where people could not believe that such a high-quality piece could have come out of T&T. “The story line, acting, editing, technical work are all on point,” she says proudly. The film is due to move on to other festivals in Los Angeles and Zanzibar.” When she isn’t performing, Mark works as a cultural programme co-ordinator for the Ministry of the Arts and Multiculturalism. Here, she supports other artists seeking grants and assistance in making their cultural endeavours become a reality. But her big dream is for corporate entities to step forward and bring local film up to the level it deserves.
Mark is currently seeking support for a film of her own, but has butted into a few walls. A huge problem is the unwillingness of local stations and sponsors to support local content, believing that nobody would watch it. “There’s this misconception that locals don’t want to see themselves on film. That’s not true. Trinis are narcissists. We want to see familiar people and places. And we like to criticise. So people will tune in.” Promises are often made, she laments, but they fall through for a lack of funds. She also thinks that it’s vital for parents to support children who are interested in the arts. “That support is rare. But I think it’s a really good idea, and can uplift young people.” As for her own career, she doesn’t dream of the red carpet, but of simply building a solid, quality body of work. “I’m interested in being an actress, not in being famous. I’m committed to my craft and want to be respected for it.”
