Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Actress Karen Harriott (left) and playwright Joan Belfon at the launch of 'Uncross Your Legs and Dry Your Tears: De Moon in de Crossroads', held at the Ashanti Oasis Vegetarian Restaurant, Hope Gardens, St. Andrew, in April. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
UNCROSS YOUR Legs and Dry Your Tears: De Moon in de Crossroads is a fascinating name for a play, and its brazen willingness to explore female sexuality is equally interesting. Yet the play, written by Joan Belfon and directed by Alwyn Bully, which is currently playing at the Centre for the Arts at the University of Technology (UTech), is not quite all it could be.
The production's lengthy title sums up its theme and hints at its motif, as the moon is associated with woman and myth, and the crossroads is the space for creatures from the other world. The play urges a more open approach to female sexuality and ties this to the mythical figure La Diablesse, which is allowed to embody wild, rampant, threatening, female sexual energy that they suggest is not threatening to men - if men do not resist.
STELLAR CAST
The production features a stellar cast which doubles up, and last Saturday night featured Ruth Ho Shing as woman one, Karen Harriott (who alternates with Rosemary Murray) as woman two, and Michelle Serieux (alternating with Monique Ceasar) as woman three. As such, De Moon in de Crossroads is nowhere short of talent and the actresses deliver textured performances that generally treat their topic with finesse, meandering from playful to occasionally raunchy and often serious.
The nameless nature of the women suggests they can stand in for womankind and as the play progresses they shift their costumes from those of ordinary modern-day women to the French-Creole garb of La Diablesse. Additionally, Belfon's use of mythology and carnival as motifs for sexuality and relationships is quite commendable and speaks to the need to create a more indigenous theatrical form which rests on Caribbean culture, not only exploring Caribbean issues.
PRODUCTION
Set design, costume and lighting are also quite interesting. The production is allowed to stay in the serenity of the moonlight with a single silk cotton tree made of sinewy ropes, which suggest an intermingling, allowed to dominate the stage. The tree also houses much of the costuming and props, and so it becomes an active part of the story's development. The constant croaking of tree frogs and other night-time insects generating the feeling of being outdoors is the final touch. It is indeed fabulous use of the limited space the Centre for the Arts offers.
Yet, with all its potential, De Moon in de Crossroads has a simple problem: It seems to forget that it is a play. The attempt to play with narrative structure is worthy of kudos, but it strays too far and erodes some of its dramatic power. It treats the issue more like one would a talk or seminar, rather than pushing it forward through narrative.
CHOREOGRAPHY
The most interesting moments in the production were when the women interacted and thrashed out the issues among them, as opposed to the times they got on soapboxes and preached. The use of third person narration is also not the most effective means for drama, as it dampens the personal effect.
Finally, the choreography, created by Neila Ebanks, could have more accurately played into the storytelling to use the metaphor of carnival in portraying the upheavals of the relationships being depicted.
Nonetheless, De Moon in de Crossroads is more than worthy of a look by all those who constantly lament the dearth of theatre which explores artistry and shies away from rampant commercialism.
