Braata singers in performance—.NOT About Eve, a drama by Jamaican actor/playwright Karl O’ Brian Williams, returns to the New York stage next week in celebration of International Women’s Month.
Staged by Braata Productions, the play will have a two-show run at The Jamaica Centre for Arts and Learning, in Queens, New York, on March 29-30.
Set in an upscale St Andrew neighbourhood in Jamaica, Not About Eve tells the story of three women living together and coping with the challenges of parenting and family relationships.
It has an all-Jamaican cast led by Dianne Dixon, with Carlene Taylor and Nyanda Cammock. They play a grandmother, mother and daughter coping with the challenges of change.
Kingston-born Williams says Not About Eve is inspired by personal experience.
“Eve was inspired by observing how the women in my family dealt with the loss of their husbands: my mother and grandmother in particular,” he said. “The sacrifices made by women to uphold the status quo in the name of family, religious acceptance, and social image preservation fascinate me.”
Andrew Clarke, founder and executive director of five-year-old Braata Productions says Not About Eve is a showcase of Caribbean issues.
“Not About Eve is written by a Jamaican, but has an appeal that transcends the Caribbean experience. It is a story that showcases the Jamaican aesthetic, it’s Creole language, but also speaks to a shared Caribbean reality,” said Clarke, who is from Montego Bay.
“This is the core of what we do, promoting Caribbean issues and stories while showcasing artistic talent from the Diaspora through its actors, writers and directors,” he added.
Since its premiere in November 2012, Not About Eve has received critical acclaim. It got three Audience Development Committee (AUDELCO) Award nominations in 2013 for Outstanding Ensemble Performance, Best Dramatic Production and Best Playwright.
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