Dates:
Friday, October 14 to Sunday, October 16
Friday, October 21 to Sunday, October 23

Showtimes:
7:30 p.m. (Fri & Sat)
6 p.m. (Sun)

Venue:
Dennis Scott Studio Theatre
Edna Manley College
1 Arthur Wint Drive, Kingston 5

Admission:
Adults – $800
Students with ID – $400
Groups (10+) – $300

This is a PG-14 show. For more information, please call 968-0028.

After its opening night, Midnight At Puss Creek will play Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8 p.m., and on Sundays at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. For more information or to make reservations, please call (876) 968-7529 or (876) 473-4485.

“Truth be told, I have not done many naturalistic pieces over the years, and as such, Puppy Love represented a real challenge for me personally” said Samuels after playing to a full house at the Pantry Playhouse on opening night – last week Wednesday, March 24, 2010.

He went on to add that “we had six weeks of grueling rehearsals under the skillful directing of Patrick Brown and Trevor Nairne – easily two of the best directors with whom I’ve worked. They pushed us beyond areas we never imagined we could have reached, let alone surpass. It is such a wonderful feeling now that the public has had a chance to see the product of our labour of love, and is enjoying it so much. The feeling an actor gets from this sort of actualization is truly amazing“.

Get an overview of Puppy Love here.

In Easy Street, writer Patrick Brown takes us on a journey to the city dump, and forces us to come face to face with some very compelling realities. He exposes the underbelly of a society beset with many social ills, but skillfully shows that the inhabitants of the dump who literally survive off the refuse of the wider society, are real people, with real hopes and aspirations, real failures and disappointments, real dreams and nightmares.

The story is carried on a ‘comedic vehicle’ like only Patrick Brown can, milking laughter from each and every scenario, but respecting delicate sensitivities.

The Easy Street cast is led by Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, who is widely regarded as one of Jamaica’s most talented actors. Campbell gets yet another chance to milk another of Brown’s multi-dimensional characters, and the opportunity to wring every comic moment from the situations encountered.

The cast also includes the increasingly popular Camille Davis, who has now established herself as one of Jamaica’s leading young thespians. Theatre fans will still remember her and speak glowingly of her outstanding performance in last year’s “Sheep In Wolf Clothing”, as well as DIANA – which had its final performance in December 2009.

Courtney Wilson is also part of the energetic cast, alongside the hilarious Christopher Hutchinson, and songbird Sharee McDonald-Russell, who again appears courtesy of the Ashe Caribbean Performing Arts Ensemble.

Easy Street’s story revolves around Queenie (Camille Davis), the socialite who fell from grace and landed on ‘Easy Street’. After an uncertain start, she finds herself living among a truly diverse set of friends. There’s Fungus (Glen Campbell), who claims to have lost his wife, house, farm and ambition in “Jamaica’s 9/11″ – Hurricane Ivan. He claims to have an educated son in foreign, and clings to the hope that his “landed papers” will come through one day.

Living next to Fungus is the jilted artiste, Scab (Courtney Wilson), who sacrificed education and inheritance to pursue his art, and who still awaits his big break as a poet/artist/singer/dub-poet/sing-jay, and whatever else comes to mind … artistic that is.

Not too far away is the house inhabited by Princess (Sharee McDonald-Russell) and Bully (Christopher Hutchinson), the delusional ex-cop, who is always wearing his decade-old “uniform”, always armed to the teeth and is never off duty … although he hasn’t really been a cop for some nine years. Princess is Bully’s long-suffering wife of 15 years, who has a perennial black-eye and claims that “is cold she catch up in it”. She has the voice of an angel, but the unmistakable appetite of a horse.

Easy Street plays Tuesdays to Fridays at 8 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. For more information, please call 473-4485 or 968-7529.

Writer in residence, Patrick Brown, has crafted yet another creative gem, this time entitled EASY STREET. The now popular and experienced Jambiz crew will again bring the colourful and multi-dimensional characters to life.

The cast will be led by Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, widely regarded as one of Jamaica’s most talented actors. Campbell gets yet another chance to milk another of Brown’s multi-dimensional characters, and the opportunity to wring every comic moment from the situations encountered. Not too many actors have Campbell’s ability to find humour, even between the lines, on a consistent basis. In EASY STREET, he finds many such moments, yet still skillfully crafts the character he plays so that he effectively brings out the subtle nuances.

The cast also includes the increasingly popular Camille Davis, who has now established herself as one of Jamaica’s leading young thespians. Courtney Wilson and Christopher Hutchinson are also in there, as well as Share McDonald-Russell, who again appears courtesy of the Ashe performing Arts Ensemble.

EASY STREET is set on the edge of an urban dump, a tolerable distance from the unbearable stench, but not far enough to escape the everyday attention of the army of flies. The story revolves around Queenie (Camille Davis), the socialite who fell from grace and landed on Easy Street. Driven to the edge by an unkind surrounding, Queenie finds solace with her new found friends and blends right in, revealing in the process that not withstanding her wide exposure, it was in the squalor of Easy Street that she really learned about true friendship, loyalty and love.

After an uncertain start, Queenie finds herself living among a truly diverse set of friends. There’s Fungus (Glen Campbell), who claims to have lost his wife, house, farm and ambition in “Jamaica’s 9/11” – Hurricane Ivan. He claims to have an educated son in foreign and clings to the hope that his ‘land papers’ will come through one day.

Living next to fungus is the jilted artiste Scab (Courtney Wilson), who sacrificed education and inheritance to pursue his art, and who still awaits his big break as a poet/artist/singer/ dub poet/ sing-jay and whatever else comes to mind … artistic that is.

Not too far away is the house inhabited by Princess (Share McDonald Russell) and Bully (Christopher Hutchinson), the delusional ex-cop, who is always wearing his decade-old “uniform”, always armed to the teeth and is never off duty … although he hasn’t really been a cop for some nine years. Princess is Bully’s long-suffering wife of 15 years, who has a perennial black-eye and claims that “is cold she catch up in it”. She has the voice of an angel but the unmistakable appetite of a horse.

The award winning creative team which has worked with the Jambiz Christmas Productions throughout the years has again committed to the project. Artistic Director, Trevor Nairne has again been entrusted to provide creative leadership to the talented cast. Barbara McDaniel returns as choreographer and Jon Williams will again bring musical genius to our ears.

EASY STREET will have its World premier at the Centrestage Theatre in New Kingston on December 26, 2009, and will then play Tuesdays to Sundays at 8 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, there will also be a 5 p.m. (matinee) performance as well.

Christopher Hutchinson’s portrayal of the character “the Candyman” in Patrick Brown’s DIANA play comes pretty close to the coveted mark. Candyman is a character that the audience loves to hate. Hutchinson plays the antagonist who causes the life of the main protagonist to go into a tailspin. He does it with so much conviction that members of the audience openly throw verbal tantrums at the actor while he’s on stage. When an actor can move an audience to such an extent then we know that the actor has delivered big time. You know that the actor has his audience eating out of his hands.

The boiling point is reached when the Candyman not only uses his ill-gotten gains to force Doggie to agree to Candyman spending a night with Doggie’s woman Diana, but also has the temerity to insist that Doggie has to watch the act. The audience goes berserk when the Candyman appears to get his way, and Doggie is reduced to a little wimp.

The young, energetic and exciting cast of DIANA is led by Camille Davis in the role of ‘Diana’. She is well supported by Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell as Pops, Courtney Wilson as Doggie, Sakina Deer (alternating with Terrian Dias) as a deaf/mute go-go dancer who goes by the name Cher, and of course, Christopher Hutchinson as the Candyman.

Writer, Patrick Brown, takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions in the laugh-a-line comedy. Award winning director Trevor Nairne has once again crafted a gem of a production, and again shows why he is widely regarded as the doyen of directing in Jamaican theatre. The actors gel together like a well-oiled machine and deliver a consistently high quality, believable performance each night … loaded with laugh-out-loud (LOL) comedy.

DIANA currently plays each week at the Centerstage Theatre in New Kingston – Wed-Fri (8 p.m.) and Sat./Sun. (5 p.m. and 8 p.m.)