Washed away: A review of Judgement in Paradise

Judgement in Paradise, written and directed by award-winning filmmaker-turned-playwright Adrian Wildgoose, promised the end of the world – well, The Bahamas – as we know it, but delivered something quite different. 
In the context of destruction, Wildgoose tried to hold a magnifying glass to Bahamian society by highlighting issues like religious hypocrisy, lack of political accountability, familial neglect and national dependence.
The play really focussed on the relationship issues of the protagonist, Destiny Wilshine, with her father, Christian; her grandfather, Grandpa Wilshine, and her best friend, Chance. Subsequently, Christian Wilshine (well-placed irony) sells The Bahamas to foreign investor Seymour Bucks, who then renames the archipelago “Laziton”.
While this is going on, reporter Terry Smith is convinced by a Mayan priest that The Bahamas is meant to be destroyed on December 21, 2012, which she feels she must share with the rest of the country.
Firstly, I have to commend the cast because they clearly put a lot of work into the production and their effort can not go unnoticed. It was a cast of young people, many of whom were COB students and alumni. Though some shone brighter than others, I didn't see one person on stage that made me remember I was watching people act. The players clearly had a sense of character and where they fit into the story.
So, did I come away feeling I had watched a good show? Not exactly. The fundamental element that was missing in this play was strong writing. Perhaps with the desire to tackle so many pressing issues, Wildgoose was being over ambitious. The play seemed chock full of issues and themes and perspectives, but there was a serious lack of cohesion.
In terms of characters, some were written and directed with a lot of insight into life and the human condition. Others... not so much. Many characters were written and directed with comedy or furtherance of one of the various plots rather than realism in mind.
The character of the journalist was trying to convince The Bahamas to be prepared for the end of the world, but she never said why (“Because the Mayans said so” is not much of an explanation). At the same time, the radio talk show host, Haroldina Thriller, had moments of gold and moments when I wondered if she was on the radio or at the hairdresser. Two characters that should have provided the bulk of the insight into the situation had no insight to offer.
The elephant in the room with productions at The College of The Bahamas (COB) is often the technical issues. So needless to say, the lighting in the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) needs to be revamped for plays. Unfortunately from the middle of the theater, the glare of the state-of-the-art concert lights made it impossible to see the characters and it actually hurt my eyes after a while.
 In addition to that, many would argue the use of microphones by the cast was a serious faux pas. Many would argue the opposite. The clincher? When the microphones didn't work, the audience couldn't hear the actors at all. This seldom happens when you use the good old lungs and project – something easily done in a theater like the PAC, which has less than 500 seats.
All in all, the concept of the play was brilliant, as well as the use of the Wilshine family as the audience’s window into the situation. But plays are about people – their wants, their actions and their purposes. Many players ended up just on stage acting, when they should have been playing three-dimensional characters with purpose.
This was a valiant effort by young people in theater that is absolutely essential for growth – both of the individuals and the industry. Wildgoose and his vibrant cast should be commended for taking the time to contribute to Bahamian theater, and hopefully, they will continue to produce and learn.


This review was written by Reva Cartwright-Carroll and was originally published in The Nassau Guardian on June 9.

‘If you have tears, prepare to shed them’: A Review of ‘Julius Caesar’ (2011)

Intense, rhythmic and methodical — all words that describe Shakespeare In Paradise’s 2011 signature performance, Julius Caesar.

After working front of house for Julius Caesar over three days and catching bits and pieces of the show, I sat down to watch it on its final night.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

“If you have tears, prepare to shed them.”

SiP’s signature play was directed by Bahamian legend, Philip Burrows. Burrow’s show was perhaps the best show I saw during the festival. Some say it was boring, apparently falling asleep even. I disagree.

He slashed Shakespeare’s original script to ribbons, axing scenes, monologues, characters — by god, you name it, Philip ‘Sweeny Todded’ it.

The show is two and a half hours long with intermission, but I didn’t want to leave the theater after the show — I wanted more.

Many have walked away from The Tempest (2009) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2010) amazed by the set. Some claim that that was all they remembered of the show. Well, Caesar only had a black set of stairs and the character’s costumes (which were in earth tones), so what were they going to walk away with this year?

The play apparently.

It was intense, never letting up the tension, drama and death. Most plays I’ve seen have a hard time balancing tension. Either plays are too tense with no room to breathe or they are too comical with no overall point to the madnesss. Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” can easily suffer from too much tension — it is after all, about betrayal, suicide and politics — but it doesn’t and Burrows did a good job balancing this on stage.

Perhaps one of his more risky moves was to incorporate Bob Marley’s music in his show. I felt that it paid off as the songs he chose fit in perfectly in the play. I spoke to a few others who saw the show and they felt that it didn’t fit in the overall setting of the play, and it is a valid point. However, I felt the music set the atmosphere perfectly.

The actors did a fantastic job bringing to life these hundred-year-old characters. I’ve seen too few a Bahamian actress like Jovanna Hepburn (Cassius). To say she stole the show sounds almost cliché to me, but she did. Hepburn was phenomenal. She convinced me, held me and threw me against the wall — all with her lines. I had people asking me from the first performance what her name was. For her part, she really brought her character to life — as did all of the other actors.

Matthew Wildgoose continues to mature as an actor. As Mark Antony, he excelled, never allowing his comic genius to emerge. Antony, in this play, is a calculating, decisive and serious character. Wildgoose did an excellent job.

David Burrows was fantastic. As Brutus he served as an excellent companion to Hepburn’s Cassius. Their intensity was brutal and a scene with the pair always promised earth shattering exchanges.

Gordon Mills was perhaps the actor who I felt played Caesar a bit too light heartedly. When I think of Caesar, I think of the ruler that conquered the Ghals and left his enemies begging for mercy. The man was prone to genocidal tendencies after all. One can argue that Mills’ portrayal made him more sympathetic when he died, but I would have preferred a more serious Caesar.

The rest of the cast did a fantastic job and I was quite pleased to see many new faces to the Shakespeare In Paradise scene.

This review first appeared in The Nassau Guardian on October 28th, 2011.

Review: Mariah Brown (2011)

Mariah Brown is not a play that can please a wide range of audiences. Those who are used to big explosions, raunchy sex scenes and hollow protagonists will find no pleasure in this one-woman play out of Florida. Instead, Brown offers a satisfying historical and emotional view of a Bahamian migrant who pioneered Key West’s Coconut Grove in the early 1880s.

That’s right, Shakespeare In Paradise presents yet another one-man show from the United States, following last year’s “Paul Robeson” and 2009’s “Zora”. I might also add that audiences loved those performances. So it is no small wonder that “Mariah Brown” quietly pleases audiences this lap. I say quietly because Brown is no showstopper about a suspected communist or the great Zora Neale Hurston, but rather, focuses on a mammy — a good natured servant — in search of a better life.

This is where Brown shines, as Laverne Cuzzocrea (Mariah Brown) transplants audiences back to the early 1880s and delivers one of the most memorable performances I’ve seen in any recent play. Cuzzocrea breaks down her performance with direct contact with the audience and exerting raw emotion. Her performance is quiet yet boisterous.

Central to the story was Brown’s hope and fortitude in learning to read and write. There is such a similarity here with Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”. Learning to read is intrinsically linked with education and social awareness and this proves true as Brown warns her daughters of the ‘killings’ occurring in Florida.

She also finds an appreciation of poetry, especially the works of Walt Whitman and Shakespeare. Brown’s love for words, letters, reading and writing is ironically opposed to the blindness that her husband suffers. It is almost as if the playwright weakens the patriarch to truly reveal the strength that Brown possess.

Perhaps the most important theme of the play is community development. Brown was a pioneer, building the first home in Coconut Grove and persuading others to join her settlement. Here she shines not only as a mammy archetype, but also as a new archetype, earth mother. Brown cares for her community, especially her boss in the Peacock Inn who helps her to read. These elements, in my opinion, made the script fantastic.

There were no physically technical aspects to the play: no music, lights or fancy robots. It was simple. Cuzzocrea wore a traditional dress fitting that of a servant. For the most part, this worked well for the play, as the simplicity of the dress stayed in line with the atmosphere of the performance and the script. The greatest alien element to the play was the venue — The Historical Society — that fits nicely with the historical aspects of the play.

I honestly I have no qualms with the play. It was the right length, proved to be highly educational and it followed the three unities of playwriting; time, place and action. It didn’t hurt that Cuzzocrea was fantastic as Brown. I mean she had the audience.

Writer and director Sandra Riley first staged Mariah Brown in 2003 and followed with two additional performances in 2004 and 2007.

This was the first time Mariah Brown was staged in The Bahamas.

This review first appeared in The Nassau Guardian on October 10th 2011

Better The Devil You Know Review

P. Anthony White’s classic play, Better The Devil You Know saw a return to the stage this year thanks in part to the St Agnes Players and director Anthony ‘Skeebo” Roberts. The tale follows the exploits of a divorced couple in New York, 1980. The tagline refers to the play as a romantic comedy but there was really little romance. Instead, White’s tale offers something other plays this year did not – an insight into the human condition of both men and women. What followed was an introspective look into many themes, namely gender identity, migration and Post-Colonialism – not a small feat for such an old play.

Visiting from The Bahamas, Virginia (J. Camille King) finds that she is unable to adapt to the cold environs of New York. To make matters worse, Paul Christie (Anthony Roberts), her former husband takes up board in the same apartment. What ensues is an interesting dynamic between the two who share old stories and slice open new wounds. I found it interesting that the core action of the play (what the characters wanted) was written in the subtext as opposed in the literal – something most modern Bahamian plays do not do. Essentially Virginia wants to reconnect with Paul and vice versa. However, Virginia’s intentions are masked in malice and bitterness. Paul, who had manipulated their marriage of almost fifteen years, reveals that he could not love another woman and found it hard to move on—so much so that his current love interest is also named Virginia. At the core of White’s play is the fantastic issue of the human soul and love. This play is about a man and a woman trying to reconnect with each other and not knowing how. Isn’t that how we operate? Both are alcoholics, both lie, cheat and manipulate the other for whatever gain is available. For me this was the “AHA” moment of the play which is again, something that happens rarely.

Out of all of the clashes come great scenes that could have benefited from some dramaturgy though. Virginia and Leslie spent too much time giving exposition when more meaningful conversations could have occurred. The characters spent most of the play drinking and I mean drinking, drinking like sailors after a hurricane drinking. That’s all well and good but this drowning of sorrows in alcohol is never addressed in the play by the characters on a serious level. Why should they? Simply because the drinking has much to do with celebrating their daughter’s wedding as it does about the fact that these former lovers are nervous about staying with each other. It’s a way to dull the pain of a failed marriage that still stings them like it happened last night.

Both Leslie and Eva were unnecessary characters that had no action. To make matters worse the actresses were none too good either. Leslie (Zena Cooper) seemed to have one voice setting – which was set at 11 - whereas Eva (Emily Osadebay) who provided comic relief in her appearances in key moments never got to capitalize on her entrance, she would merely stagger off stage a few seconds later mumbling a line or two. I think with a little dramaturgy the play would have been a ton more interesting with just Paul, Virginia and a better developed Eva.

Roberts and King did a decent job opposite each other, but I feel with a little more rehearsal time and some more coaching for King, their performances could have been fantastic. Roberts knew what he was doing – this is familiar territory for him – but King seemed to be getting her feet wet again. This became apparent to me when King was first opposite Cooper. Sorry to say but her performance was like the sinking Titanic, but once Roberts joined her there was a noticeable change in her acting. I would have liked to have seen that from the beginning.

The stage was pretty dynamic and good measure was used to take advantage of the living and dining room and the upstairs area. I must say, other than Woman Take Two and the two previous Shakespeare plays done by Shakespeare In Paradise, I’ve never seen such a complex set design. The lights, music, props and costumes were incorporated superbly and only complemented the vast and glorious set.

As this is Roberts directorial debut I believe he managed to put on an entertaining evening. With time I hope to see more and more performances from the St. Agnes Players, ones that are as insightful as White’s.

New Blog

So I created a new blog the other day. I know what I want it to be, so I'll see if that's what it will become. For now you can follow the link and see for yourself if Bahamian drama is your cup of tea -- and please fret not, this blog isn't going anywhere.

http://bahamiandrama.wordpress.com/

The Cabinet Review

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to The Cabinet, a play about politics in The Bahamas. That’s right another political satire about our government. I can hear the other critics now...deep heaving sighs mixed with vodka shots and a great melancholy with ponderings on why God, why don’t they write something else for a change, or a, I thought of that ten friggin years ago can’t they be more original? I know how some of you feel, but please fret not, this was a play more about the human condition than anything and it worked! That’s right, it was good.

On April 1st, The Cabinet premiered at The Dundas Centre for The Performing Arts to a warm and enthusiastic audience. The play mirrors to an extent the events that occurred in The Bahamas at the turn of the century. Sir Lymon Leadah, former Prime Minister for over thirty years has just passed away and in that wake the current Prime Minsiter, Reggie Moxey, is conflicted about a promise he made to the people to only serve two terms in office. However after Lymon’s ghost starts appearing to Reggie, he decides to concoct a plan that would ensure his position as Prime Minister in years to come.

Written by Ward Minnis and directed by Dr. Ian Strachan, the play is set in the fictional isles of The Archipelago and stars Chigoze Ijeoma as Reginald Moxey, Ward Minnis as Jerome Cartwright, Ian Strachan as Sir Limon Leadah, Sophia Smith as Latoya Darling, Matthew Wildgoose as Kendrick Johnson and Arthur Maycock Jr as Fenton Green. In our tiny nation, this counts as an all-star cast. So with these points in mind, let’s see how The Cabinet fairs.

What it did right

It made me laugh. Then it made me laugh again and some more after that too until I was busting my guts. Yeah, some of the jokes, puns and acting may have been a bit cheesy in some spots, but together as a cohesive piece, the comedy shone through like the glittering piece of British humor it reminds me of. That’s right, I went there, Britain! Matthew Wildgoose proved once again that he is a comical genius in any role given to him. As Kendrick, Wildgoose showed a dynamic of not just performing over the top idiocy, but also quiet moments of inner turmoil that just busted guts. Wildgoose is no newcomer to the scene either; he’s been acting for over five years now and proves that comedy is his comfort zone. Minnis as Cartwright was fantastic. He was never too overbearing but had the right amount of range to pull off the comical bits written for the exceptionally dry character. Ijeoma should be here as well, but I actually found him limited in his acting and we’ll talk about that later.

The script was well written and a decent job was done to bring it to the stage. And while we’re talking about the stage, it was set up in three spaces, Cartwright’s front room, Moxey’s office and his study at home. The spaces were dynamic and well placed. No one space blocked the view of another. I appreciate that as Moxey’s study table could have easily blocked any of the other two spaces from view.

What it could have done better

Moxey’s character is a direct caricature of a certain Prime Minister, but you knew that, the man was miming Hubert’s voice and laugh for goodness sakes. However, I found that very voice too soft to hear at times, and honestly I heard the laugh once despite him doing it in almost every scene. Ijeoma’s problem was, he never projected to the audience, except for the two instances where he shouted. To make matters worse, after the intermission he didn’t ride the laughs anymore. What I mean is, he said a funny line, the audience laughed and while we were laughing he continued with his line. Know what that means, we missed the line. That’s not cool.

And while we’re talking about Ijeoma, I felt his acting was flat. But now get this, when I read The Cabinet his character was not. I had similar problems with Latoya and Fenton, but sadly they were written flat. They were only meant to be catalysts, nothing more. This means that Ijeoma had some bad direction. When he was meant to seem melancholy, excited or deeply touched, I didn’t believe him because he was not displaying the range expected of the part.

Sir Lymon Leadeah was an interesting character as he had the most dynamic scenes with Moxey. However I felt these two really could have capitalized on some scenes better than they did, especially the father-son moment they shared in their final scene. I feel the comedy was played more than the emotional connection I was looking for in a scene like that.

I can see the stones heading my way now! “Stone that bastard!” they shout. “What he know anyway?” I sorry, I sorry!

Back on track, The Cabinet was fantastic ya! It’s just what we needed back in 2007, an actual play about the government, but here it is now and it’s still funny. Like I said before, the script is fantastic – it works. Does that mean it’s not without flaws? No, it has some, but that’s ok. Nobody cares; this production was well done and shows that Dr. Strachan is slowly moving forward in his role as director. If you are looking for a good night of laughs then look no further, The Cabinet aims to please and returns to The Dundas on April 7^th.

Not My Good Child Review

Stirring, but not much of a dramatic play...

If you ask any Bahamian on the street who Michael Pintard is, you’ll get a resounding, “He’s one playwright and a poet ya see.” If you ask anyone in theatre who Michael Pintard is, you’ll get a, “He’s one of the most serious and business oriented writers we have.” Well one or two might say that. Regardless, Pintard is as famous as drama writers (he’s not a playwright) get in this country. He’s up there with Ian Strachan, Nicolette Bethel and Telcine Turner.

For the past month Pintard has staged his newest play Not My Good Child between Grand Bahama and Nassau. NMGC tackles the theme of violence in the community. Like its tagline, it is a timely piece that does just what good drama is supposed to do – hold a mirror up to society. With that said, let’s look at what worked and what didn’t work in this production.

The Good.

One of the best attributes of the production was the acting. No matter how stony faced audiences tried to be, everyone left the theatre shaken. Pintard’s cast hit home with their charismatic and haunting performances. There were good comedic moments as well, but perhaps the only disappoint of the acting was that it was limited. The cast never really had any scenes to actually do anything – they just preached.

The stage was well utilized as a means to convey this sort of performance. On stage right was a group of upper middle class citizens consisting of Osborn the MP, Edwina the lawyer, Will the accountant and Edwina’s maid. They meet to discuss ways to tackle crime, but end up pointing fingers as to whose fault crime is. On stage left, the criminals defended their actions via soliloquies – which felt awkward at first. In the end, two worlds were represented in two very different spaces. Whilst the group’s space was homely and warm (representing security), the criminals space was bare with only a dim spotlight showing their presence –representing uncertainty.

The Bad.

This was not a dramatic play. NMGC isn’t a play, or a piece of drama at all. It’s more of a collection of soliloquies. High energy, teary eyed, shouting to the roof soliloquies. There were over nine of these speeches. Over nine. That’s nine too many. Plays have structure (a beginning, middle and an end). They build towards the high energy, teary eyed high point of dramatic tension. To stage a production that is basically nine orgasms but no fun of the actual sex gets old. In fact, the best part of a play is the build up to that dramatic high point right before catharsis. Now theatre of the absurd challenges this structure, but one must understand the conventions that one is breaking. Just a note though, Pintard’s stuff isn’t absurdist. I understand that this is how Pintard stages his stuff, but let’s be honest; he can’t take his productions anywhere else in the world and get good reviews, so I’m not cutting him any slack here.

There was no overarching story. Every character that came on stage had their own story about how they got caught up in violence, but none of them were connected to each other or the group’s story. It created this open mic night sort of atmosphere. This left me wanting more. I wanted to know more about these characters and just how crime really impacted their lives before the tension filled speeches hit my ears.

The Ugly

Production wise, Pintard should not have used microphones. Part of the theatre process for an actor is to project him/herself to the audience. Microphones make actors lazy on stage. It also causes the audience unneeded hearing problems. For instance, two soliloquies both had shouting performances. Shouting into the microphone equaled loss of hearing on my part and disturbed my enjoyment of the piece.

Whenever the four member group had a scene, lights came up. When the other members of the cast had to deliver soliloquies, the very dim spotlight was used. This spotlight was so dim I couldn’t actually see the actor, so I found myself looking at other things and only returning my gaze to said actor once they started shouting. However, I can’t really hold this against them as this was their first performance at The Dundas.

The group itself was obsolete. They acted as mediators between the different characters soliloquies where their job was to bring the energy down. However, when Osborn and Willy started having shouting matches; it didn’t work out so well, thus failing. After an hour and a half I dreaded having to hear Edwina tell the two men to stop bickering or watch the maid clean the bookstand for the fiftieth time.

The production also got preachy – which you never want to do to your audience. Instead of showing, characters were telling and expositing. There was so much of it that I never want to hear that word again. Where’s Poitier when you need him? Oh there he is! Poitier give me some showing instead of telling! Ah, that’s better. Where was I?

Theatre is about characters in conflict. But what happens when only the conflict is brought to the stage and no build up is given? Does it work? I don’t think so. NMGC captures the tension, sorrow and anger of a violent country, but I only wish that it was actually a dramatic play. And that is where it falls short.

Wind Jammers Review

“Mudda is sick!!!”

Wednesday 1^st December 2010 saw the premiere of The Bahamian/American film Wind Jammers. A quaint story about a young girl that falls in love with sailing and the evil yacht club president trying to foil her attempts…at sailing. The film was shot on location in The Bahamas with minimal scenes shot in Chicago. Writers Ric Von Maur, Elliot Lowenstien & Michael Ray Brown, attempt to tackle racism in the neo colonial Bahamas whilst also trying to rip your heart out with father/daughter problems. To say that his script was flawed is an understatement. Essentially the writers sat down for six weeks and saw every family comedy made in The United States and then set the script in The Bahamas. Yet it is this western ideology of filmmaking that sells tickets and who's to say that their idea was wrong.

It was a mix bag performance wise. Craig Pinder -- a seasoned theatre actor – gave a candid caricature of the white Bahamian: Which means he delivered the funniest lines in the film. Every character's interaction with Pinder was rewarding for both he and the actor. Justice’s performance lacked substance. Especially considering that she is the lead, one would have expected better. Now, this is not to say that she was horrid because she wasn't. It was her first role and it wasn't her fault she was cast as a tragic mullato. Thankfully the supporting cast was fantastic. Cookie Allen, Tony Roberts, Sean Nottage, Moya Thompson and the rest of the cast did a good job of giving that authentic Bahamian feel to a movie that prides itself on One Bahamas. Even the token white boy giving all the black lines was actually funny.

Production wise this film was awesome. The editing, lighting, sound and choice of shots were great. It’s no Scorsese flick but the directors and the production team did what they needed to do. Yeah there were no scenes that paralleled the hegemonic struggle of the black maids/attendants to potcakes but who needs that in a B movie…on with the corny jokes I say!

The script sucked. I mean sucked. Jesus loving Christ. No. No. No. It had a good idea, even good direction, but you can’t turn apples into peaches. You can’t make brackish water into a peaking wine. You can't turn Martin Lawrence into Sidney Poitier (I've seen 6 of his films in the last month, call it obsession). Ric Von Maur, Elliot Lowenstien & Michael Ray Brown wrote a story that highlighted The Bahamas’ less than talked about racism and discrimination. I liked that. I also liked his metaphor of sailing as freedom. I loved his attention to the sea and to the actual paralleling of potcakes to the black servants – seeking identity in the ruins of colonialism and racism. Yet these pockets of ideas are never really expressed to the fullest of detail. Von Maur takes the Hollywood way out by using the cliché of working things out and togetherness that just fudgemicates (it’s not a word) the bejesus outta me.

With that said, Wind Jammers is worth watching if you’re a Bahamian (or not). Just turn your brain off and enjoy all the unique Bahamian clichés that make the movie bearable. It’s not as bad as I make it sound. I’m just a prick that happens to critique everything – it happens when you’re an English major I’m afraid.

Gamer Review: Race in Video Games - Are Video Games Racist

In my last article my editor thought the acronym RPG meant Real Playing Game when it actually stood for Role Playing Game. I just wanted to clarify that before you all thought I was some incompetent casual gamer type bugger. Good, now that that’s over with, let’s play some Fat Person Shooters or FPS!

Let me ask you something, have you ever played a videogame as a white character? Now, have you ever played a videogame as a black character? Now, that black character, did they eat chicken and watermelon and use slang words signifying their non-existent education? I’m exaggerating, but I think you get my point. Videogames, like all other media, are race sensitive. You’ll be hard pressed to find a Sidney Poitier in videogames, especially in the still racist Japanese videogame market. To prove the racist tendencies in games, let’s look at two specific videogame characters, CJ from Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and Barret from Final Fantasy VII.

If you’ve ever played a GTA game, you know they tend to be on the controversial side. Essentially these games are Scarface meets Miami Vice, The Godfather or Boyz N the Hood. San Andreas draws from the later with its main characters being black in a Los Angeles inspired city. Unfortunately these characters are gang members doing a ton of gangster bullocks. CJ, the protagonist returns home after his mother dies and becomes embroiled in a conflict of race, gangs and class. Along the way he pilfers cars, murders innocent pedestrians, police officers, animals, prostitutes and many more stereotypical things. Now this is by no means solely present in the only GTA game wholly populated with black characters, but it is important to note that black people are portrayed as corrupt – is there one upstanding black character in the game? You tell me. I’m not claiming that RockStar (makers of GTA) are perpetuating racist notions, but I am saying that isn’t it time for a positive black character in one of their games? Are we not tired of seeing blacks stealing cars, and making nothing of their lives? Tommy Vercetti of GTA Vice City is no different from CJ, except that he’s white. Yet there are a ton of video games out there with positive white characters. Look at everyone’s favorite plumber, Mario from Super Mario. All he wants to do is rescue his princess. Metaphorically speaking, he just desires to do the right thing. It’s not farfetched to motivate for change of presentation. If one side is presented, then the other should be represented as well.

Barret from Final Fantasy VII is not as offensive a character as CJ, but he manages to hold his own. First off, Final Fantasy VII is about a group of resistance members fighting an evil electric power company that is stealing land and energy from the planet itself and selling this energy back to the people. Barret heads this group of misfits up until our protagonist, a blond hair blue eyed white boy named Cloud (can you say Arian race) assumes control of the gang (not to be confused with gangsters).

I'm still here sucker!!!

Barret lost his family and an arm to the evil company after it sent hitmen out to destroy his village because they refused to cooperate. Barret literally has a gun for half his arm – a gun. Not to mention the fact that he looks like Mr.T and uses language that would make any parent do a double take at the T rated game. However, considering the fact that the Japanese like to draw blacks with big pink lips and blond hair, I’ll gladly accept the Mr.T look any day. The latest black Final Fantasy character is not as offensive as Barret and actually shows progress.

There are a slew of minor black characters cast in video games including the Mike Tyson inspired Balrog from Street Fighter 2, Jax from Mortal Kombat 2, just to name a few. I could go into detail how Drebin from Metal Gear Solid 4, who is followed by his monkey companion, is a quintessential metaphor for how the Japanese view blacks, but it’s just too offensive. I ask you dear readers, what do you value in your video game experience? I know that we really just want to be entertained, but I ask you to be mindful of the commentary these games make of our society.

Blood

So I wrote this play a while back that has some wild things happening in it. The main character is a psychopath and has a fix for blood. It's been a long time since I worked on it so I'm super psyched to make some headway. I feel I've finally reached a satisfactory draft and I hope that it reaches the stage sometime next year. For now here's a brief scene.

Colin
Well are we doing this?

Suzanna
I’m not in the mood right now. Maybe later. I just went back home last night and…

Colin
Is cool. (pause) Look I’m sorry if I came off kinda…

Suzanna
Perverted?

Colin
Y-Yeah. I can appreciate ya vibe. Truin when my ol man was dead I used ta feel the same way.

Suzanna
Whatever, it’s natural for men to hang out with other men right?

Colin
Sure. Why you asking me as if you een sure?

Suzanna
Truly there is a brain in there? I’m sort of amazed now. Fascinated even. What else don’t I know about you?

Colin
Is it true you beat Jeanette ova da head wit her own dildo?

Suzanna
Well, Jeanette and I couldn’t see eye to eye as it were.

Colin
Yeah…wa happen, I een see her in a minute so you mussy beat her dead bad.

Suzanna

Well it was a pretty hard dildo and you wouldn’t understand Colin, no matter how many times I try to explain it to you and your dick.

Decompression beats depression.

Now these pictures that we left behind are just memories of a different time -- something made us laugh, something made us cry...

And so A Midsummer Night's Dream came to an end earlier this week. Honestly it was a pleasure to work with the fine actors that made our cast, as well as our stage managers - my wife included. It was a tedious process to get to the stage. Filled with mayhem, desperate searching for characters, preproduction party mischief, post-production party mischief and everything in between. It was a wild ride into the strange and unknown fathoms of the human soul to recreate something authentic and exciting.

After all of that, it's recovery time, or as a college student -- catchup time. Yet the memories never leave me of rehearsals, of the production or the awesome after party on Monday.

OMG!!!

I find myself reciting lines from the show almost everyday. Not my lines mind you, just everyone else's. "Away you serpent!"

As one cast member said, "I don't know what to do with all the time in the afternoon anymore," and I heartily concur. Well, to some extent, I've got essays, exams and presentations up to my ears. Yet there is this void in my gut. Patti sent this awesome email on overcoming this void. Gotta love the woman, she certainly is a sage isn't she? ='( Anyway enough of this emo ranting business.

It was an honor to work on AMND 2010 and this production only reinforces my love for theatre and my passion to make this my career. I look forward to many more adventures down the rabbit hole. Till then, take pains, be perfect, adieu.

CLICK ME

That's for the Midsummer Cast -- just substitute 'you' for 'you guys' and I think you get the picture. =)

Farewell guys...till next time.

My Bad Habits.

So while I'm attending college, like every student (or the good ones) I'm multitasking. Yes multitasking! Because if you want to make it in this world you have to multitask!

Right now I'm playing Star Ocean Second Evolution.

I'm listening to The Bird and The Bee. Garden State Soundtrack and Franz Ferdinand's self title debut.

I'm a part of SiP's Midsummer Night's Dream. I'm Francis Flute/Thisbe. "Nay...faith/fuck let not me cross dress on stage!"

I'm currently researching sources for my Senior Thesis class focusing of Bahamian theatre.

And....

I'm trying to blog more, because it's one of the few ways of writing beyond school papers and PR stuff.

My dearly departed play

I've been working on my play for nearly over a year now. I've got a third draft out there and I want to do another reading for the bastard. Now, it's exciting - this playwriting business. I've been using this book to help me out.

The help this book provides is invaluable information. Especially in The Bahamas where there aren't many areas of expert theatre help aside from Dr.Bethel, Dr. Strachan or Phillip and David. Sometimes ones own insights into research are rewarding as well.

With so many new and exciting interests occurring in the last year - Shakespeare In Paradise, an Introduction to Theatre course at COB, at least three student/amateur productions since SiP- theatre in The Bahamas is making a slow, yet eminent comeback. I'd like to be a part of this with my play.

The Melancholy of Suzanna Turnquest

What started out as a muse about the life of my cousin turned into the basic premise of my play. It was to feature a young girl, shy and very much introverted living with her older brothers. I played with the idea of introducing a Grandfather whom I made an Uncle. A few months later I ended up with a different idea. Suzanna became torn, outspoken and rash. She had an older sister, Eve and an Uncle, Michael with whom she shared a home. My play now followed the life of these people after Suzanna and Eve's father dies. I've made some exciting changes to my last draft dated August 2010. Hopefully this play will become something interesting.

One Man's Struggle Review

On Sunday June 13^th the team at Redemption Productions closed their three day run of ‘One Man’s Struggle.’ The play follows the hardships of Edward Spence and his engagement to the vain Camille. The relationship sinks to loathsome lows when Eddie admits to Camille that he is addicted to pornography.

With a cast featuring Kirk Johnson (host of Matters of The Heart) and Pastor Mario Moxey, audiences enjoyed superb performances. The key issue addressed in the play centered on redemption. Essentially writer Radell Parks argues that because Eddie has given his life to Christ that those that haven’t persecute and undermine Eddie. Which, unfortunately is an old tried and true ideology.

For me this is where the play ran into problems. At 2 hours and 45 mins long I only saw 30-45 mins worth of actual plot progression, character development and sub-plot. Throughout the play there were small simple scenes that ran from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. The majority of these scenes required background changes, so often the time between the scenes were longer than the scenes. This should have been avoided.

Theatre is about characters in conflict. One of my favorite things about this play was the presence of the dramatic arc (begging, middle and the end). This is not a necessity of a fantastic production, but it separates good plays from bad, chaotic messy ones. Imagine watching a three hour play that spent one hour doing nothing but exposition; would you really enjoy that?

With that said I don’t think that a good job was done with Parks script. Unfortunately after the show was over, it was clear that she was beating the bush with the same stick. To me, a good work in any medium needs to be original and creative. Whilst creativity was present, Parks’ gleaning of Tyler Perry’s plot of forgiveness in a black Christian setting did not keep me interested in what most characters said – simply because there were too many stereotypes and overemphasized clichés. This play obviously deals with the drama in a Christian community, but does a good job of not saturating the audience with preachy dialogue. Although I don’t think the audience would have cared.

Now there is a distinct difference between theatre and movies. Actors in theatre must project themselves so that their action can be heard and seen by all members of the audience. Theatre is live and therefore every night of performance is different. In the movies, actors act for the camera and every time one views a movie, it never changes. The actors never grow old or change the way a line is delivered. With that said, I don’t think that prerecorded footage of scenes should be incorporated into stage plays as a means to substitute an actual scene. Essentially this issue boils down to, am I watching a play or a movie?

Now there were a lot of things I liked about this play too. Don’t get me wrong, One Man’s Struggle was a great attempt that has loads and loads of potential. I saw a cohesive cast work together to deliver a play, which is no simple task – simply because anything and everything can go wrong in a live production. I saw scenes that had me laughing, scenes that moved me and a character that actually delivered a monologue. I know that Redemption Productions will steadily learn more about the stage and when they do, theatre in The Bahamas will be all the more richer for it.

"Come servant Monster...Drink!!!"

Yeah, it's another SiP post - what a surprise! Day 5 of the festival has shown me something very important though - I can see myself doing this (theatre) for the rest of my life. But first I'll talk about my experience working with this festival in an all encompassing perspective.

I unofficially joined Shakespeare In Paradise sometime in February as apart of the dramaturge team that started on The Tempest. There were about 9 of us back then, and about a month later there were four, Dr. Bethel, Dr. Toni Francis, Reva and myself. We finished work on The Tempest sometime around June after a few months of off and on work. Ultimately Reva and I worked on the last two acts of the play ourselves and handed it in. The next week Shakespeare In Paradise held it's first meeting with interested persons which included Dr. Bethel (dux), Phillip Burrows, Reva, myself, David Burrows, Matthew Kelly, Rachel Whitehouse, Margot Bethel, Cookie Allen and some more (can't remember names bro).

Anyway in short that's how I got involved. It just sorta happened by chance. My English 300 professor (Dr. Toni Francis) started the English Honors Society which was asked to help dramaturge The Tempest. For whatever reason only two of us ended up doing it but whatever. =o

Now as for the festival itself. The marketing for this thing has been phenomenal and there is no one that hasn't heard of this thing. It's a monster moving of it's own accord at this point. That is what we call it - a monster with a mind of it's own.

The shows themselves are terrific and diverse. Ken Corsbie (Guyanese American stand up comic) is a master of the West Indian stereotype. He kept his audience with him and when he left we all wished he wouldn't. One White One Black is a play written by Cayman Islands playwright Frank McField and directed by Henry Muttoo (Guyana). All I have to say about this play is...watch it for 'yaself' and prepare to stomach some deep shit. If you weak in mind and spirit, this play will hurt you to your core. A deep look at relationships between men and women. OWOB pulls no punches, paints no rainbows and fluffs no ass. It is direct, humorous, satirical and raw.

I haven't seen Zora, Love In Two Acts or Music of The Bahamas - but each of these have been reviewed by The Tribune and The Nassau Guardian. =D But kudos to Matthew and Kim regardless and hopefully I'll be able to buy my DVD copy of their work. I'll see MOTB on Monday and hopefully I'll see you there.

Now for The Tempest (the heart of the festival). What can I say? I worked on it, but I never imagined that it would be what it is tonight. Yes tonight as I sit backstage and await my turn to jump on stage and chase Caliban (Kennedy) Trinculo (Dion) and Stephano (Skeebo) into exile. MMM, lets start with Craig Pinder (co-director). Originally The Tempest was to be directed by Nicolette Bethel and Patti-Anne Ali, however Craig jumped at the opportunity to be a part of SiP. He was not asked to do this - he heard about it (In London) and called asking for the chance. Now Craig is a seasoned actor and director who has been doing Shakespeare plays for god knows how long. So naturally when I heard he was working with us I had a jolt of excitement shot down my intestines. =D. Meeting Craig was moving, working with Craig is beyond gratifying - it's an honor. He is serious, professional, upright and a splendid role model for any aspiring playwright and actor. On the other side Craig is playful, humorous and humble. He has his moments and I've seen the human behind the resume and I am speechless.

Now, for Patti. Patti, Patti, Patti. The principle director of The Tempest who motivated, inspired, cursed, cussed and kicked all our asses and we (the cast/stage managers) love her for it. Patti is a Trinidadian who has studied theatre in New York and staged numerous productions, television shows and movies. Patti is the heart of this production, she is our mother, sister, best friend and worst enemy.

Craig and Patti are what theatre in The Bahamas need more of and it is an honor to work with these wonderful and dynamic bastards!

Now for the cast of The Tempest. Damn! Dana (Ariel) is the show stealer, but she deserves that. Skeebo, Dion and Kennedy are the drunkards and they kept us warm and smiling throughout the rehearsals and productions. Yeah, they've been cussed a few times, but who hasn't. Gene and Nicole are in love on stage and they barely talk backstage. What I mean is, they are fucking great. Jane, Roger, Mik, David, Jovanna and Sean are professional, fun loving human beings. =p Chrystal, Mary and Stephanie are awesome, did you see them dance? Love that scene. Dylan is my new younger brother and Annee is my new little sister, cause they know they kill my ass with the hugs backstage. =S =)

Our stage managers are working their asses off (Rachel and Reva) and they need kudos brother. Rachel is melancholy if you really look at her - and that's ok because she's an awesome melancholy. (if that makes sense) She's been blinded by stage lights in front of a sold out audience, she's been accosted by drunk men and she's managed to come out of all this with a grim smile. Gotta love it. Reva is my wife, so I don't need to say how hard she works. But then again... She's our glue too!

mmmmm what else?

Oh that's right. My point. My point is that theatre is hard work and SiP is blood sweat and tears poured into a pot and there's nothing more humbling than seeing that work pay off.

Don't fret, SiP still has three more days of shows left, get your tickets before you miss something magical.

It’s here at last

Shakespeare In Paradise is here and there is one more day before The Tempest premieres. Are you psyched yet? Well stress levels are high – I'll be honest – but things are jelling smoothly together. Tomorrow is our last day of rehearsals and Craig and Patti are under a tremendous amount of pressure but they are doing some GREAT work.

Those of you who bought tickets, prepare for a magical show, those who haven't, well what the hell are you waiting for? =/

"What a thrice double ass was I…" Caliban

 

Shakespeare In Paradise

"Give me your hand, I begin to have bloody thoughts."

It's nine pm on a Monday night and here we are at The Dundas Centre for Performing Arts. Patti is fuming at Caliban again and dreary faces mask even more dreary souls. But we persist. The Tempest is nearing it's first performance at a rapid rate - next week thursday. There is a ton of work to be done and everyone - even Caliban - is committed. Why? It's a world class theatre festival meant for you - the public.

"...and I your Caliban forever your FOOT LICKER!"

It's not joke that we're tired as hell, that's obvious. The humor of it is that nobody would quit or even think of it at this stage - this is too much fun! We're learning more and more about each other and ourselves. We want to do this the best way we can and we love it. Rehearsals are tedious and tricky with each character searching for his or her own identity. The directors are delightful - believe me - and we really are one close family.

Come see The Tempest starting October 8th to the 11th. Come watch our work. =p

Bloggers Unite: International Literacy Day

Tis no secret that most young people don't read anymore. For the thirty of us that do, there are at least six hundred that don't read at all. This is part of the reason why students fail exams, why young adults fail to pass English classes and why some individuals have bad vocabulary and communication skills. Back when Alfred Sears was Minister of Education he instituted a 'Let's Read Bahamas' campaign. Sears got Chapter One Bookstore, The Guardian and many others to help him help children love to read. Sears realized that high school students and adults alike, had trouble reading – sorry they still have trouble reading. In the end I think most people forgot about this movement that Sears fought for and we're the poorer for it.

As a teacher in training I saw grade twelve students struggle to read a B.J.C. level English paper. I saw freshly graduated grade ten students study nouns – they weren't ready for adjectives yet. I saw teachers – some good, some terribly absurd – deteriorate as they taught primary school lessons in senior high school. Needless to say, I left teaching.

In COB most students either fail English 119 or pass with a C – because these same students never actually studied grade twelve English. The rest of us that got lucky – those that love reading, writing, thinking – we got B's, A's, we got something. There are two majors in COB that strike fear in the hearts of the average student – English and Math – but that's a different story. My point is Sears was trying to prevent the average student from becoming content with just a C.

Now, why are reading and writing so damn important – besides school and occasionally needing to read a document or two? Well firstly in a country with few writers and less readers we kill our culture industry – which could be BIG. We damn our theatre – because in essence words drive theatre and not everyone writes a Madea, some of us write a Hamlet or two. Audiences want action, they want violence, they want bang, bang and when they can't get it, well you know the rest. This is not to say that we don't have a theatre audience – we do – we could have more is what I'm saying. In the end, literacy drives our written culture and that is no jest. So let's read again Bahamas, let's read world, let's read a book!

The Tempest Rehearsals

If you don't know, you should know, that Shakespeare in Paradise is happening October 5th-12th. At the center of this theatre festival is The Bahamian adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Dr. Nicolette Bethel, Reva, Dr. Toni Francis and myself adapted the play for the festival. Fast forward four months and rehearsals are underway and I am a part of the ensemble/spirit. Directed by Craig Pinder and Patti Anne-Ali - theatre veterans in the global sphere - is a treat in and of itself. Patti is due to arrive in the country tomorrow, but Craig has been holding his own with rehearsals.

So far we've been examining the play, line by line, scene by scene, all in an effort to gain a better understanding of what is taking place. Results have been fantastic with some rehearsals breaking out in song 'He's the one that I want...' and others have been heart warming. All in all it is a terrific experience and I cannot wait to see where it goes!

District 9 damnit

It was a rush to get there, and we were late already. Twenty minutes late and our movie, "The Goods" wasn't showing anymore...what to do, what to do? Let's watch District 9 damnit. Yes, this post is about said movie - if you haven't guessed it. =p Most of you probably saw this movie, but that's not the point. The point is that this is perhaps the best movie of 2009. Dangerous statement? You bet your ass it is. What gets me though is that G.I. Joe - a movie based on the old Hasbro toy line and 90's pro war cartoon - is described by my peers as 'solid'. I'm not surprised, I'm just tired of the cycle about crappy movies about old toys/cartoons/shit. I know, I know, it all comes down to a person's preference and I read this incredible blog post about artsy movies needing the crappy/box office success to be possible.

Back to District 9, a movie where the aliens are eerily metaphors for our Haitian communities and perhaps those shanty towns present in the Middle East. Yes, someone, somewhere will study this movie for class someday soon.