Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
A TASTE of what Hot Spot written and produced by Basil Dawkins has to offer was proffered as Sunday Morning fare at the Little Little Theatre last Sunday. The play, which recently had the distinction of receiving gold at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's Literary awards for 2005, is slated to be Dawkins' contribution to the plays which will open on Boxing Day.
Hot Spot, directed by Buddy Pouyatt, was originally scheduled to be read at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, University of the West Indies as the November instalment of the Sunday Morning Readings. Alas that was not to be. Sunday morning's reading was instead presented by the Jamaica Association of Dramatic Artists (JADA).
PLAY REFLECTS
The play reflects the struggles of two small restaurant owners and their attempts to finally make it big. The cast features Marguerite Newland, Charles Hyatt, Volier Johnson and newcomer, Zandrian Maye.
The script is far more cohesive than Dawkins' last new offering No Disrespect and employs engaging language that flows well and reveals interesting characters. Employing both drama and comedy, it leans excessively to neither side and promises to be an engaging play when all the other elements of the production such as set and costumes are put in place.
Despite being quite enjoyable, Hot Spot seems devoid of a marked central conflict, which manages to rob the ending of some of its cathartic energy, at least in the reading. This occurs not because this conflict is missing from the script, but it has not yet been tapped by the delivery.
Hot Spot rests on how easily we judge people whether by the way they look or how they speak while integrating issues of class, education and social mobility. In Sunday morning's reading, the actors were not able to highlight the significant of that.
GOOD PERFORMANCES PROMISED
Nonetheless, some good performances, especially on the part of Newland and Maye, are promised. Maye's character seems to most fully present Dawkins' which to explore and depict the female psyche. Though for much of the production she is a supplemental character, he colours her in with a few scenes which help to pull her out of the semi-educated helper stereotype.
Of course, Sunday morning's presentation was just a reading and so one can expect a far more dynamic delivery when the play opens on Boxing Day and the scripts have been shoved aside. This will be particularly important for Johnson's character 'Big Chef' who needs to be cloaked in more mystery to fully exploit the character's potential. Nonetheless, it promises to be an entertaining production though just how 'hot' it will make the Little Little Theatre is yet to be seen.
