Celebrity hosts for ‘From Yard’ Jamaican and NY premieres

NEW YORK:

Producers of the new television series, From Yard, have announced a line-up of celebrity hosts for the Jamaican and New York screenings of the show’s pilot episode.

Actor Nick Creegan; songstress Nadine Sutherland; actor and playwright David Heron; and broadcaster and media personality Paula-Anne Porter-Jones will share hosting responsibilities for the two events which take place one week apart in September.

Porter-Jones and Heron will co-host the Jamaican premiere screening on Monday, September 18, at 8:30 p.m. at Palace Cineplex in Kingston, while Creegan and Sutherland will step into the spotlight to host the gala world premiere at the Langston Hughes Auditorium in New York, one week later.

The Jamaican premiere will be a charity fundraiser for The BAM MOMS Club while New York’s will benefit The Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations (USA) Inc UJAAbotics programme.

From Yard is an immigrant urban drama directed by Leland Benford that traces the true life story of Jamaican-born Dave G. Heron (not to be confused with the aforementioned David Heron), from his humble childhood beginnings in Maverley, Kingston, through his subsequent emigration to the USA and his turbulent adolescence and young adulthood on the streets of New York City. The series is one of the first-ever television production to portray the pursuit of the American dream through the eyes of a Jamaican family.

The largely Jamaican cast includes Shevrado Oliver as series lead; Dave G. Heron; Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell; Joe Herrera; Darron Donaldson; Claire Dennison; Ashanti Harris; and Adam Christian, making his professional acting debut as young Dave G. Heron. David Heron also appears in the production as Samuel Heron, the father of the series protagonist Dave G.

Creegan is a New York-raised actor, producer and former sports journalist of Jamaican descent. His breakthrough role came in the Oprah Winfrey-produced, critically acclaimed drama series David Makes Man. He has since appeared in major television productions such as Law and Order – Organized Crime and the CW network’s Batwoman, creating history by becoming the first-ever actor of colour to portray the character of The Joker. He currently appears in a recurring role on CBS television’s NCIS Hawaii.

One of the most popular and respected Jamaican musical artistes of her generation, Sutherland was the first-ever winner of the Tastee Talent Contest at age 11. She went on to be signed by Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong label and was nurtured by Marley himself in the formative stage of her music career. Youthful hits, including Starvation and Until preceded major adult successes over many years such as Babyface, Wicked, Big Tings and her signature smash, Action, with Terror Fabulous – voted one of the Top 20 duets of all time by VIBE magazine. She has received critical acclaim for her latest projects, Queen and Triumphant, released in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Playwright, producer and actor, David Heron began his career in Jamaica as the writer of such critically and commercially successful plays as Intermission, Against His Will and Love and Marriage. Emigrating to the USA, as an actor he has appeared Off Broadway, regionally and internationally. One of the few Caribbean-born actors performing Shakespeare at the highest level across the USA, he recently earned stellar reviews for his work in the Colonial Theater of Rhode Island’s Shakespeare in The Park production of The Tempest.

An experienced and sought-after broadcast presenter and instructor, Porter-Jones possesses more than 30 years experience in the fields of broadcasting, communication and education. A hugely popular morning show announcer on Radio Jamaica 94 FM, hers is the voice behind hundreds of short projects and commercials across the Caribbean and North America.