Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Students of the Randolph Lopez School of Hope embrace director Pierre Lemaire at 'Dare to be Different' at the Philip Sherlock Centre on Sunday. - Photo by Nathaniel Stewart

Last Tuesday night at the Amphitheatre at Edna Manley College saw the official launch of the Jamaica Alternative Theatre Company (JATC).

Eugene Williams, director of the School of Drama, warmly welcomed the small but interested assembly that gathered at the college to welcome the new approach to theatre that the group would be advocating.

Non-commercial theatre

JATC is a non-profit cultural organisation with a passion for providing quality non-commercial theatre in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

It uses devised and applied drama to develop productions with social and educational values.

JATC's most recent production, Dare to be Different, featured adults who are mentally challenged from the School of Hope.

Dare to be Different, directed by Pierre Lemaire, made for audiences to see that persons who were challenged could capture the presence needed for the stage.

Director Brian Heap, the main speaker for the night, said that theatre has come full circle as in his early days persons in theatre were always involved in charity programmes.

"The Jamaican alternative theatre is a good move," Heap explained as scenes from Dare to be Different flicked across the screen behind him.

"Alternative implies that people deserve to have a choice," Heap continued, saying that theatre that steps the mirror of society can help affect change in society.

Good job

According to Heap, seeing the smiles of the children from Dare to be Different is all the proof needed that the alternative theatre group has done a good job.

Grace Duncan of the School of Hope gave her testimony to the difficulties of working with mentally challenged children, but said she has seen the benefits of the programme.

Other programmes to look forward to from JATC include Street Signs 2008, a production with a mixed group of deaf and hearing adults from the St Christopher School for the Deaf in Brown Town, as well as Troubled Waters, a community drama project on Rio Grande river poisoning.

Also, One Blood, a devised drama on violence in the Jamaican society, looking at collective responsibility.