You take a slightly
disturbed woman; a son on the 'borderline' as
it relates to his sexual orientation; a lustful
preacher with political ambitions and an opportunistic
helper with a manipulative and bitter sister and
you end up with a recipe for non stop craziness
and twists. In one play, Dawkins serves up a major
plot and many subplots dealing with how far one
will go to maintain the perception that the outside
world has of him or her.
We meet a woman
named Verona (Maylynne Walton), who refers to
the hired help
Precious (Sakina Deer) as if she were an inanimate
object simply there to be used. Her evangelist
husband Edgar (Douglas Prout) is at his wits end
over what to do with her, as he has grand dreams
of running for public office. His son Abe (Lawrence
Woodham) tries to get his foot through the door
of the music industry by pretending to be just
like one of them, while holding on to his friendship
with the helper who wants a big piece of the middle
class pie.
To
read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore
Pandemonium
may have originally been the capital of hell
in John Milton's Paradise Lost, but as the theme
of Jamaica Carnival 2007, it guarantees that
all hell is going to break loose as sweet soca
music sweeps the island.
Imagine
a tumult of colour and sound without the disorder.
Now in
its eighteenth year, the vision of music icon
Byron Lee has matured
into a well organised calendar event that still
has the power to attract
thousands of locals as well as visitors.
Major sponsor
Supreme Ventures, in association with Digicel,
have thrown substantial weight behind Jamaica
Carnival this year in order to maintain the
consistency of the entertainment package. However,
there will be a few changes at this year's event.
Most noticeably,
the road parade on Carnival Sunday, which falls
on April 15, will not be included. Patrons eager
to put their costumes on will have to hook up
with the other player in town. And even while
the organisers have decided to sit out the popular
street march, plans have already been drawn
up for the return of the road parade in 2008.
To
read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore
Bacchanal
time again!
It's
that time of year again, when selected streets
in the island become the playground of soca-satiated
and sun-soaked revellers decked in colourful
and flamboyant costumes.
The early signs
of Bacchanal Jamaica 2007 emerged in February
- the clearest indication being the bi-weekly
trek of women and men in gym and sporting apparel
to Mas Camp on Oxford Road for "Socacise".
This "get fit" routine is an established
prelude to Bacchanal Fridays, the series of
fetes that have been
rocking Mas Camp.
The staging
of Bacchanal Jamaica 2007 at the above-mentioned
venue was in question at the end of the last
carnival season, but with a new lease in place
the fans need not worry about a change in location.
Island Adventure is the theme and the exhilaration
and passion are already at impressive levels.
The "sublime lyme" of the Friday night
shows, held in association with Digicel, have
featured Gone Coconuts, Hot Friday Lyme, Caribbean
Luau and Island Party.
To
read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore
Despite
what a lot of people below Cross Roads think,
rich people have some pretty serious issues too.
This, coupled with an overwhelming desire to keep
the façade of respectability and invincibility
intact, makes for a heady cocktail of drama and
laughter courtesy of playwright Basil Dawkins
in his latest offering 'Uptown Bangarang'.