'Di Rocky Road' crosses Waterhouse boundaries

Michael Reckord, Gleaner Writer

Theatre's transformative power was evident in a short play produced last Wednesday by the recently formed Waterhouse Creative Company.

Di Rocky Road, created under the leadership of Sheila Graham, lecturer at the School of Drama, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, was possible only because strangers became friends, non-actors took risky steps on to a stage and young men who had been wary of crossing certain community 'borders' conquered their fear.

More than 30 people began the project, Graham told the audience in her overview. However, judging by the number who actually took part in the production, more than half fell by the wayside. Those who stayed the course, however, declared in a post-production discussion hosted by School of Drama director, Eugene Williams, that they were glad they did.

Speaking from the veranda of the Maranatha Christian Church, the stage for the evening, Graham said "the project we're doing today is the culmination of 13 weekly sessions with young people from the Waterhouse area. I admire their courage and dedication. They've come out in the day when they could have been doing something else, and made sacrifices. They feel they have the potential to give back to the community and are hoping the seed we plant today will take root and grow and feed the community."

SEVEN SCENES

Lasting about 40 minutes, Di Rocky Road consists of seven scenes. It opens in the present at a college graduation and, as valedictorian Michael Alexander Black (played at that point by Ishmael Douglas) talks about his difficult journey to academic success, there are flashbacks.

The story involves Michael's teenaged mother getting pregnant for her boyfriend in 1996, her verbally abusive father finding out, Michael being enrolled in school five years later, a policeman shooting three of Black's classmates at a dance and Michael being scorned by all but one classmate when he arrives at school unwashed and smelly because of a water lock-off.

As the play draws to a close, the story circles back to the opening scene. It ends with the characters singing an original song, Unity.

There was honesty in the acting as the performers played characters they seemed to know well, and the audience members warmly applauded what appeared to be equally familiar situations. In the discussion after the play, cast members spoke of their hope that the theatre group formed for the project would continue, stem community violence, and promote unity.

PROPOSAL FOR FURTHER HELP

One actor said that the group's members intend to write a proposal for further help from the Ministry of Justice's Citizen Security & Justice programme, a co-sponsor of the project. The programme's representative at the staging of the play, Marcia Flynn-Rock, said that the proposal might be favourably received, depending on the approach it indicates.

From Graham, who was assisted on the project by three students from the School of Drama for their Theatre and Development course, I learnt that she chose to work in Waterhouse because she was impressed by the "commitment, energy and progressive approach" of the Waterhouse Community Development Benevolent Society (WCDBS).

"Very early in our conversations," she said, "I learned that there were several persons in the community who understood the value of the arts in developing a wholesome, participatory community culture. Some had actually been involved in drama projects and had participated in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Festival."

Douglas, the first young community member Graham met during the project, had been involved in Waterhouse with Sistren, the well-known women's theatre collective. Additionally, Graham said, "he believed passionately in the possibility of drama to transform communities. His dream was to form a professional company that would work in communities all over Jamaica."

She continued: "The members of the WCDBS felt that the project was important for bringing together young people from the many rival districts that make up Waterhouse. They saw it as an opportunity to build bridges and lessen the tension between the 'corners'. Some of the youngsters were more interested in dance than drama, but nevertheless used the opportunity afforded by the production to get onstage."

In creating the play, Graham said that she drew on her experience with the Area Youth Foundation (a theatre group she founded with members of downtown Kingston communities) and began by having the young people talk about community issues that most affected their lives. Of the many discussed, two got special focus.

FACTIONALISM

One was the factionalism and disunity which the group believes fuel the violence and stigma attached to the community. The second was the emphasis on 'bling', which sees too many "seeking validation through material acquisitions and getting drawn into negative associations and behaviours".

Those conversations were followed by the writing of songs and script scenes in small groups. After that came scenes being directed by different individuals.

It was not only the community members who were transformed by the project. Drama School student Samantha Thompson admitted that she started the project with negative "preconceived ideas" of the residents of Waterhouse. Having worked on the project, she said, "Now, I love them like brothers and sisters."