Harris"s Ol" Fyah Stick for Theatre Place

IT’S a popular saying, ‘Ol’ fyah stick easy fi ketch’ but according to playwright Dahlia Harris when there’s someone throwing water on the flames, rekindling lost love may be harder than you think.

That’s the premise which drives her latest project Ol’ Fyah Stick which opened at Theatre Place in St Andrew last night.

Comedic legend Volier ‘Maffie’ Johnson leads the cast in the romantic comedy. He is joined by Deon Silvera, Harris and Chris ‘Johnny’ Daley who alternates with Desmond Dennis.

Harris states that Ol’ Fyah Stick centres around Joe Moore, a widower of 15 years who feels thats its once again time for marital bliss. That his choice of companion is his domestic helper Betty, makes things interesting. That he and Betty were school sweethearts and have been carrying on secretly for years, makes it complicated. Things get even more complexed as Joe needs to be upfront in order to secure the blessings of his uptight and upwardly mobile daughter Margaret, whose idea of a stepmother doesn’t go below Half Way Tree. Throw in the meddling security guard who has his own agenda, and Harris states that things get turned upside down.

Ol’ Fyah Stick follows on a string of theatrical successes from Harris as writer/director including favourites like Judgement, Thicker Than Water, God’s Way I & II, To The Finish, Her Last Cry and God Go Wid Yuh. The play is scheduled for a limited six-week run.

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Harris"s Ol" Fyah Stick for Theatre Place

Theatre season off with a bang

JAMAICAN theatre is entering 2014 with a bang.

The Kingston-based playhouses are awash with new productions, a total of eight plays, seeking to capture the theatre-going public’s attention.The productions range from comedy to musical revues.Scarlett Beharie, president of the Jamaica Association of Dramatic Artists, said the Yuletide/New Year’s holiday period is known as the unofficial kick-off to the theatre season.“It’s not the most plays that we have had opening at this time. However, it is significant in that it shows the resilience of the theatre scene as it has been a very challenging year in terms of mobilising audiences,” Beharie said.“However, the total number of plays that ran over 2013 remains one of the highest we have seen in recent times,” she continued.For over seven decades, the curtains have risen on Boxing Day for the National Pantomime.The Barbara Gloudon-penned The Golden Macca Fat, took to the stage at the Little Theatre in St Andrew, continuing that tradition which has been carried over from the days when the Pantomime played at the historic Ward Theatre in downtown Kingston, which now stands in disrepair.Embassy Saga, with Jamaican comedy king Oliver Samuel, also had a Boxing Day opening.Following an impressive run with Ladies of The Night, award-winning producers Jambiz International also opened If There’s is a Will There is a Wife. This is running at the Centrestage Theatre in New Kingston and stars Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, Sakina Deer, Sharee McDonald Russell, Camille Davis and Courtney Wilson.The Green Gables Theatre lights up with the musical revue Jamaica Sweet, written, directed and composed by David Tulloch. This production stars Deon Silvera, Terri Salmon, Rosie Murray and Michael ‘Stringbeans’ Nicholson.DMH Productions is the force behind the other Boxing Day opener, To The Finish. Directed by Dahlia Harris and Suzanne Beadle, this dramatic piece stars Carl Samuels, Jerry Benzwick, Nadean Rawlins and Chris McFarlane. The local theatre fraternity zoned in on the entire holiday season, and as such there were productions opening just before Boxing Day and immediately after.David Tulloch’s second play for the season, Clash, which stars Keith ‘Shebada’ Ramsay and Garfield ‘Badboy Trevor’ Reid opened at the Green Gables Theatre on Christmas Day.On December 27, veteran theatre producer and playwright Basil Dawkins opened his production, My God Don’t Wear Pajamas at the Little Little Theatre in St Andrew.(From left) Coach Reid and athlete Victoria Speid played by Carl Samuels and Julene Robinson wait expectantly while parents Bertland and Grace Speid played by Christopher McFarlane and Nadean Rawlins confer in a spirited moment during Dahlia Harris’s ‘To the Finish’ currently playing at the Pantry Theatre in New Kingston (NCW PHOTOS)Tish (Sharee McDonald-Russell) and Kim (Camille Davis) turn their charms on the hapless yam farmer “Abe”(Glen Campbell) in Patrick Brown’s “If there is a Will there is a Wife” currently playing at the Centre Stage Theatre in New KingstonHilary Nicholson as Mrs Sharon Jenkins in a pensive moment during Basil Dawkins’ My God Don’t Wear Pajamas currently playing at the Little Little Theatre (NCW PHOTOS

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Theatre season off with a bang