Jamaican theatre alive and well - Comedies prove most popular

BY RICHARD JOHNSON Coordinator, Entertainment Desk johnsonr@jamaicaobserver.com

André Morris, playing Richard and Antonio (left) chokes Dahlia Harris, who plays Sasha in Judgement

ALTHOUGH the results of the recent Actor Boy Awards may have been swept by the musical White Witch, the Jamaican theatre scene is indeed buoyant.

In delivering the judges report at the Actor Boy Awards, adjudicator Tony Patel revealed that for the year under review — 2010 — a total of 33 theatrical productions were offered to the public.

These 33 productions were broken down into 17 comedies, six musicals, six dramas, and four revues. The total number of productions in 2010 was the same as the previous year.

Patel noted that the acting in the productions was of a reasonably high quality, as were the costumes, lighting, set design, and construction as well as the original music used.

Last year’s offerings also reflected a diversity in the origin and subject matter. The University Players production of Moliére’s Tartuffe was one such example. The comedy, which was written in 1664, enjoyed a good run at the Phillip Sherlock Centre at UWI, despite not being of Jamaican origin.

He noted that this year also saw the emergence of a few new writers, producers and directors.

One such newbie was Dahlia Harris. Known for her acting skills, this broadcaster and marketer widened her reach in 2010 when she penned, produced, directed, and starred in her project Judgement. The play, which opened in December of 2010 ,received five Actor Boy nominations but went home empty-handed. Speaking to the Sunday Observer, Harris noted that she was pleased with the success of her maiden project, which closed in Kingston last Sunday. “I really cannot complain, Judgement had a great run at the Pantry Playhouse in New Kingston and right now I am focussing my attention on the ‘country run’ and overseas engagements. We have been getting calls from the Diaspora — Florida, New York, Toronto, and London,” Harris noted. Judgement is set for the Coral Springs Centre for the Arts in Florida tonight.

In analyzing the dynamism of the local theatre scene, Patel added: “Sociologists might seek to find an explanation for the facts that comedies continue to dominate the offerings... maybe it is good therapy to be able to laugh and in so doing, forget temporarily some of the pressures we face daily.”

This point was underscored by head of Stages Productions, Garfield Reid.

More popularly known as Bad Boy Trevor, Reid — who spoke to the Sunday Observer from St Mary where his play Ova Mi Dead Body was scheduled to take the stage last night — said the majority of Jamaicans see the theatre as a great please for release. “People just really love the things we are doing and so they come out to watch the plays and have a good laugh.”

He, however, added that with the brand that Stages Productions has developed and characters such as Maxwell ‘Maama Man’ Grant, Bad Boy Trevor, Delcita, Jucky Jam and of course, Shebada, many promoters are seeing theatre as a more viable financial venture, as opposed to holding stage shows and dances, and this, he notes, has added to the popularity of local theatre.

The popularity of the production in Jamaican communities overseas has added another dimension to the dynamism of the industry. Reid noted that when his productions travel to the Jamaican pockets in Florida and New York, they are wellreceived by Jamaicans, who see it as a piece of home.

Theatre lovers can choose from a number of productions either on stage or scheduled to open soon. The National Pantomime, Blinga Linga, continues its run at the Little Theatre; Patrick Brown’s Midnight at Puss Creek with Oliver Samuels is on at Centerstage and David Tulloch’s Confessions is into its second weekend at the Theatre Place.

Following its overseas run, Judgement returns to Kingston and then heads to St Thomas this coming weekend, while Ova Mi Dead Body continues its rural run. The School of Drama at the Edna Manley College is not being left out. The school’s production, The Button Hole Bandit, runs for two weekends, closing on April 17.


As one production closes, another opens. Coming soon are Stages Productions’ Double Dose with Shebada and the crew, Big Tree Small Axe starring Volier Johnson and Deon Silvera and Lukington Productions’ Star Bwoy, which opens on April 22.

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