Barbara Ellington, Lifestyle Editor
WISDOM
NOW IN rehearsal at the Pantry Playhouse, Anthony Wisdom's A Song for You is being directed for its Jamaican debut by Pablo Hoilett.
The play takes a new look at an 'old' and well-entrenched aspect of Jamaican lifestyle and its seemingly mesmerising quality on even the most high-brow of classes.
In Wisdom's romantic comedy, Sheila Henry (Mitzie Pratt) is not a happy camper in her marriage to Marquis Henry (Rodney Campbell), the about-to-be reggae superstar. Sheila is an educated mid-30s career-oriented woman, but she is alone most of the time as her husband pursues his dream of stardom. She is in the process of gathering research material for her thesis in of all places the dancehall. She wants to delve into the psyche of the dancehall queen and, in the process, becomes one
herself.
MARRIED BENEATH HER
Like many other women on the way up, she has married somewhat beneath her, but manages to satisfy herself with poetry writing, tennis and dance lessons. And she has a tutor too; he is Ramon (Knut Borstad), a Latin lover who offers more than she's paying for. She also has a friend who is a pro from the heart of the ghetto Beverly (Trudy Campbell), who is quite versed in the ways of the dancehall.
Like most husbands who have grown out of touch with their wife's feelings to the point where they think all they need to do is bed her and pay the bills, Marquis is in a lurch. So caught up is he with the fact that he's finally about to make it, her attempts to reason with him go way over his head.
His song is on the charts, he can now wear Armani suits and pamper her with fine jewellery, so what else could she want? Heaven forbid to be totally fulfilled. Alas, Marquis does not get it. His solution to her concerns about the distance between them is to invite her to drop everything and go on the road with him.
REHEARSALS
When The Sunday Gleaner visited the cast in rehearsals last Sunday, it was clear that the two main cast members have already established some chemistry. This will get better as they get closer to opening night. They were working through the opening act and, although the principals did not know the lines yet, Campbell seemed more comfortable with his lines and character, and delivered the feelings of a singer finally breaking on to the charts. Pratt demonstrated an early understanding of Sheila's persona, and as they progressed, some kinks were ironed out.
Still, A Song for You should be thought-provoking for its re-examination of many relationship issues. For my part, I would have preferred a different climax, but director Hoilett assures me things do come together.
The play will open on March 31 at the Pantry Playhouse and admission is $800.
PLAYWRIGHT, ANTHONY WISDOM
Anthony Wisdom has been a professional screenwriter/playwright for over 30 years. His first play, Catch A Bull By The Horn, was produced at the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury in 1973. In 1975 he was accepted into the prestigious WNET Film and Television Training School where he studied and worked in all aspects of film and video production. At that time he was also a member of Frank Silvera's Writers Workshop.
In 1978 his two one-act plays, A Song For You and Toujour Le Meme, were presented in repertory at the 13th St. Playhouse in New York. In 1980 Mr. Wisdom wrote the feature film Will, for Jesse Maple Patton. The film won second prize in the Ohio Film Festival and has been featured on public TV. His full-length play, Something Lost, was produced at the Henry St. Settlement in New York during the 1980-81 season.
In 1982 Mr. Wisdom teamed up with Morgan Freeman who made his directing debut with Mr. Wisdom's full-length play, Till The Very End. In 1985 Mr. Wisdom wrote the film The Messenger for black action actor Fred Williamson. In 1990 he wrote and co-produced The Return Of Superfly, which was directed by Sig Shore and featured Samuel L. Jackson, along with the music of Curtis Mayfield and Lenny Kravitz, the movie is one of the top-selling black videos. And The General's' Inn was produced in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
