On Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10th, the Performing Arts Center of the Shiloh High School exploded with a rollicking display of lively music and uproarious comedy with two shows of the play Jamaica 2 Rahtid - Pupalick. Knee-slappingly humorous yet deeply serious, this beautifully outrageous musical revue presented a potpourri of sketches in which a variety of Jamaica's political and cultural issues are delightfully and expertly skewered.
The author of Jamaica 2 Rahtid - Pupalick, esteemed playwright Aston Cooke, says of this work, “Pupalick is a high-energy and fun-filled satire for the entire family which will mirror Jamaicans at their best, worst, nicest, sweetest and funniest.” It does indeed as it explores subjects such as Jamaican talk shows, the complications of dual citizenship and the machinations of Jamaica's political parties and leading politicians.
Directed by Michael Nicholson and graced with music by Grub Cooper, this dynamic play has been nominated for no less than thirteen of Jamaica's coveted Actor Boy Awards. It won four Actor Boy awards: best comedy, best revue, best musical score and best song.
The Kingston College Old Boys' Association of Georgia (KCOBA) in association with Jamaica Awareness is putting on these productions of Jamaica 2 Rahtid - Pupalick. KCOBA President Glen Laman says that his organization helped bring the play to metro Atlanta because “the Kingston College Old Boys' Association of Georgia funds many programs in Jamaica and locally here in the Atlanta area so when Jamaican Awareness proposed a play on Mother's Day it was a no brainer. We had always thought Mother's Day was ripe for an activity and I had seen Jamaica 2 Rahtid over a year ago and was quite impressed with the quality of the performance.”
Chris Daley, Zandriann Maye, Chris McFarlane, Dahlia Harris, Everaldo Creary and Camille Wilson are the accomplished and highly skilled actors who star in the productions that KCOBA is bringing to metro Atlanta. Best known for playing Johnny in the JBC TV mini series Lime Tree Lane some two decades ago, Chris Daley won the Jamaica Actor Boy award in 1999 for his performance in Oliver Mair's Dis Ting. Zandriann Maye is widely recognized and loved for her bubbly personality and her outstanding performance in Basil Dawkins's Hot Spot. Another Basil Dawkins work, Who God Bless, was the vehicle for a performance by Chris McFarlane that won him the Actor Boy award for Best Actor in a supporting role.
Just last March, the talented Dahlia Harris won the ActorBoy award for Best Actress in a leading role for her portrayal of Patsy in Aston Cooke's Concubine. Evaraldo Creary was the 2007 recipient of the Jamaican Prime Minister's Youth Award for Arts and Culture and recently completed two films in which he played leading roles, Candy Shop and Better Must Come. Newcomer Camille Wilson made her debut performance in 2008 in the LTM National Pantomime Nuff and Plenty. Wilson studied drama at the Jamaica School of Drama's Youth Department at the Edna Marley College.
Jamaica 2 Rahtid - Pupalick received kudos from Tanya Batson-Savage in a review published in the Jamaica Gleaner. She noted, “The musical revue is a consistently popular genre of Jamaican theatre. Its popularity reflects more than a love of laughter; it points out that Jamaicans love to look at themselves in the hopes of 'popping' a big laugh at the ridiculousness of existence.
That laughter should never been taken lightly, as it tends to 'kibba heart burn.'” Writing specifically of Jamaica 2 Rahtid, Batson-Savage continues, “The play itself echoes that sense, with several of the sketches echoing its name effectively calling to the serious ridiculousness of the situation.” She also states that this play “echoes that sense of almost perverse patriotism that fills our local revues. As they satirise our society, they simultaneously celebrate it.” She goes on to point out that “sketches such as 'Cricket War,' 'Reggae Cabinet,' and 'The Case of the Missing File' point to the serious intent of the sketches despite all the hilarty they produce.”
Glen Laman says of the play, “Jamaica 2 Rahtid is fantastic entertainment. You will laugh and laugh and laugh. There's also music and song. It shows so many facets of the Jamaican psyche in one show you'll be glad you came. It's all beautifully performed by some of Jamaica's most talented actors.” Laman continues that KCOBA and others involved in bringing this production to metro Atlanta expect a good turnout. “The buzz has been very, very positive and we know Jamaicans love a good show,” he asserts. “So we expect to see a broad cross section of the community in attendance. There is something for everybody in this satirical revue.”
Laman believes that Jamaican theater in general is very special and has much to offer the world community. “Jamaicans have had to be resilient in order to survive and thrive,” the KCOBA President observes. “We know how to 'tek bad thing mek laugh' or see comedy even in our tragedy. Jamaican theater is able to take ordinary life events and reveal the color and comedy of human experience.”
Why was the Performing Arts Center of the Shiloh High School selected as the venue for these productions of Jamaica 2 Rahtid - Pupalick? “Shiloh has been used for various Jamaican events in the past and the venue is quite competitive from a cost perspective,” Laman replies.
