Centerstage takes the fun and laughter online Mother’s Day weekend

POPULAR THEATRE outfit Jambiz International, operators of the nowshuttered Centerstage Theatre in New Kingston, has decided to take its productions online. The first offering, Patrick Brown’s hilarious comedy Windscream Posse, will air during Mother’s Day weekend, May 7 – 9.

Resident writer, producer and director Patrick Brown said that with the doors of Centerstage closed, it is important to engage audiences through this outlet. “Theatre is what we do for a living, and it’s been truly disheartening and extremely difficult for us since COVID-19 forced our doors closed on March 12 last year. But the good thing is that our loyal fan base stayed in touch with us through our Facebook page primarily, and urged us to take the plays online so that they could continue to enjoy our productions.

This is the first effort along those lines,” Brown explained.

As with other Jambiz productions, Windscream Posse uses a comedic vehicle to shine the spotlight on a societal ill, without seeking to trivialise the situation. The play looks at child abuse, and Brown does so through the lens of a set of runaway children who roam the streets of Kingston to escape unbearable abuse, whilst making an honest hustle to survive by wiping windscreens.

The cast of Windscream Posse is led by one of Jamaica’s leading actors, Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, who needs little by way of introduction to theatre lovers. Over the last four decades, Campbell has been able to reinvent himself with each role he tackles, giving fresh new interpretations each time, whilst still maintaining a high standard of comic portrayals. The cast is complemented by several other members of the Jambiz‘krew’in Sakina Deer, Courtney Wilson, Keisha Patterson and David Crossgill.

Brown promises his legion of fans that the online version of the play will be just as entertaining as the actual stage version, and is ideal for the entire family. It may even cause a few teardrops to fall amid the laughter as the story unfolds. He is excited about the move to online, noting that it brings with it a lot of positives, one of which is allowing Centerstage fans in the Jamaican diaspora to be able to once again access the productions.

Access to Windscream Posse starts at midnight on Thursday, May 6, and will be available until midnight on Sunday, May 9, via the Caribtix platform.

CONTRIBUTED ‘Bull’, played by Glen Campbell (centre); ‘Stamma’, played by Courtney Wilson (right) and ‘Dunceisha’, played by Sakina Deer, in a scene from Patrick Brown’s ‘The Windscream Posse’.