From left, Fae Ellington, Lois Kelly Miller and Owen 'Blacka' Ellis. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer SATURDAY EVENING saw some of Jamaica's best in theatre, as well as some of the up and coming, pay tribute to the Honourable Louise Bennett-Coverley, who is called, through affection, Miss Lou. The event, which marked her 83rd birthday, took place at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre. It celebrated the works of the woman who has been called Jamaica's first lady of comedy - a title that falls short, as it fails to note the immense social commentary which is imbedded in the laughter.
Although she performed from her own repertoire, Amina Blackwood-Meeks' presentation was not only the most well-received, but also the clearest testimony to the art of mixing social significance with comedy.
Blackwood-Meeks performed two pieces. Her first story, 'Going Bananas', was an indictment of the globalisation process, which has proven to be an economic thorn to many of the world's poorer nations. The piece was indeed funny and had the audience - between bouts of laughter - talking along with it. However, deeply imbedded between the jokes was the serious economic plight of the island, which has several implications.
She began the piece with song, which led to her quoting from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) that national treasures should not be taken from the shores upon which they were spawned. This statement was indeed a weighty one, especially since the crowd had gathered to celebrate a national treasure which no longer resides here. It was an absence which was carefully avoided and hardly alluded to.
Ms. Blackwood-Meeks also asked if we prefer our heroes to be gloriously dead, 'like Marcus Garvey', or heroically alive. Her performance certainly helped to bring some seriousness back to the evening. However, Miss Lou's absence, though it was acutely felt, was not the focal point of the piece.
'Going Bananas' went on to talk about the exploits of 'Jing Bang', who a committee had made the mistake to invite to a meeting. Jing Bang carried with her several slides and a large bag, which were used to illustrate her points.
These slides were used to show how decisions made by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) helped to stem the banana trade, which helped to increase taxes, which led to increased protest, which in turn helped to stem tourism. Being a consummate storyteller, Blackwood-Meeks easily engaged the audience by using the very popular saying 'this is the house that Jack built'.
She replaced this with 'this is the road that we built', a line which became almost a chorus. The audience quickly joined in, especially on the last lines. "These are the taxes, that jook di people that light the fire, that bun the tyre, that mek di ole, dat cause di touris' to fraid to walk pon di road that we built," she stated, and the audience gladly joined her.
When Blackwood-Meeks got to the segment of her story where she spoke about the people who give thanks for the thoughtfulness of the rice truck in stopping on Spur Tree Hill, one woman actually got to her feet and clapped in delight.
When it was time for her to leave the stage, the audience would have none of it. Their appetite had just been whetted and they clamoured for more. Their wish was granted, as Blackwood-Meeks came back to perform 'Island in the Sun'. This piece shared the use of comedy to make a social comment with 'Going Bananas'.
It began with the song of the same name, 'Island in the Sun'. It takes a look at the tragic side to tourism, which helps to rob some Jamaican's of their humanity and leaves others unable to fully enjoy the celebrated beauty of the land -- or, at least, that is what 'Miss Lady' thinks. 'Miss Lady' is a woman who finds herself unable to call Jamaica home, even if it is a last resort (pun intended) because the best of it has been reserved for 'touris' (to) come gamble and run roun naked pon'. This statement found much favour with the audience and one woman cried out 'true ting!'
Theopholous James is a man with an 'unbalanced mouth' who tries to make eke out a 'libbing' by singing to the tourists. He notes that he needs a break, one which never seems to come. "Is not a tax break I lookin, is a break to pay di taxes," he announces when given a hard time. Unfortunately, Theopholous is left in knee deep water, as the tourists sail off in their 'glazz baddam bode'.
Owen 'Blacka' Ellis, Lois Kelly Miller, Joan Andrea Hutchinson and Marjorie Whylie also took part in the proceedings, helping to make it a varied and extremely enjoyable evening. The presentation was produced by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) and was an excellent way to mark the first 'Miss Lou Day', as had been declared by Govenor-General Sir Howard Cooke on Friday.
