Heron
amaican Theatre could take one giant step forward into the American mainstream come Saturday, May 4, when playwright/actor David Heron's romantic comedy drama, Love and Marriage and New York City enjoys a Gala New York Premiere followed by a limited run at the prestigious Paul Robeson Theatre in Fort Green, New York.
Heron's play, which enjoyed a highly successful run in Jamaica from 1999 through to 2000, and which earned eight International Theatre Institute Actor Boy Award nominations, will play at the Robeson until the end of May.
The Paul Robeson Theatre is generally regarded as one of the most respected off-Broadway black theatres in New York, and have been winners of the coveted Audelco Award off-Broadway's highest honour for black theatre on several occasions. Previous productions mounted by the company include A Raisin In The Sun, Damn Yankees and the revival of the 1950s Broadway musical, Jamaica. Heron recently signed the production deal with the theatre for the New York production of his play, which will be produced as part of the Paul Robeson's spring 2002 season. Heron himself will direct a talented cast of New York-based Jamaican actors, including Christine Campbell, former beauty queen turned actress Sundra Oakley (last seen on HBO's Sex and The City) and former Pulse model Lincoln Wynter, who will be making his acting debut.
Heron will also reprise the role of Damian Lewis an ambitious Jamaican born photographer determined to succeed in the Big Apple which he played in the original Jamaican production.
Love and Marriage and New York City tells the story of two young Jamaican couples living in Manhattan who marry strictly for green card purposes, only to discover that marriage is never purely about business.
Written completely in Standard English, the play has attracted interest from numerous New York theatre entities. Heron elected to work with the Paul Robeson Theatre when they advised him he could direct the production himself ensuring that the play maintains its artistic integrity and Jamaican roots.
"This is the first time the play will be seen by New York audiences," Heron says in a statement from the theatre. "The original Jamaican production was scheduled to tour New York two years ago, but those plans fell through. Now that it is getting its chance at last, I wanted it to be done as well as that original production, and chose to do it myself. I certainly didn't want a foreign director hiring actors who were going to fake the Jamaican accent again that can be so embarrassing. It was very important for me to be part of the creative process and to get real Jamaican actors to do this project. I am really happy about that." If the play is seen by the right people, Heron went on to say, there is a strong possibility it could move from Brooklyn into Manhattan and then, who knows?
"Because the piece is written completely in Standard English and is set in New York, it has strong cross-over possibilities," he states. "And this is why it is attracting so much attention. If this can be the piece to kick open some doors for my fellow writers and actors from Jamaica, then great. Productions representing several other nationalities are all over Broadway why not one from Jamaica?"
Love and Marriage has attracted interest from the other side of the Atlantic, too. At the end of the New York run in May, Heron and the original Jamaican cast including Karen Harriott (of Royal Palm Estate) and Douglas Prout will travel to England for a two-month tour of the play being mounted by the KAJANS Theatre Group of Birmingham.
The tour will take the show to Huddersfield, Sheffield, London and Birmingham through the end of July. A follow-up British tour is planned for October-November. "KAJANS are in negotiations to lease the British and European rights till 2004, as they believe the play can make it to the West End," Heron says. "They are investing a great deal in it , and we are all very excited by those possibilities."
