A new page with 'Graffiti'

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

The Jamaica Youth Theatre's (JYT), 2010 major production, isn't exactly new. It was staged in July at the Contacting the World International Theatre Exchange in Manchester, England.

However, bringing it home to Jamaica at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, UWI, Mona, from September 10-12, will amount to more than the JYT showing its home audience what they did in England. After a slew of productions from the canon of Caribbean classics (they have earned a Best Drama Actor Boy Award for their production of the 2007 Man Better Man), Graffiti is their original full-length production writing debut, directed by JYT member Rayon McLean.

Cast member Brian Johnson points out that the JYT will not toss out the standout West Indian plays. And Randy MacLaren says, "It gave us the training. Once you have a firm foundation you will be developing."

The foundation for the writing of Graffiti: From Walls to Stage was literally on the walls for the JYT, as members wrote poems individually from the inscriptions they saw around them, then the pieces were collated and fused into a production. So We All Bleed Red is both graffiti and a title, while the poem The Pickney Them a Dry is from graffiti in Cross Roads that notes 'they hang the children to dry'. The latter touches societal flashpoints involving children, including the Armadale fire and Ananda Dean abduction. Joseph Collington says it was one of the high points of the Contacting the World festival, where people were either silent or crying.

Cultural exchange

Graffiti: From Walls to Stage was developed as a result of JYT coming in contact with their thespian counterparts from another part of the world, the idea germinating through a cultural exchange with the JYT's twin company, Radiator Factory Crew in Denmark. However, the JYT members note that the Danish graffiti tends to be a bit more intricate than the wall writing they have seen in Jamaica.

McLaren says there is a larger message to the JYT members in developing Graffiti, as "it does makes us more aware of our surroundings" and reminds them "do not put your art in a box". Part of breaking out of the box is the utilisation of multiple formats, poetry, dub rhythms, dance, song and multi-media.

The JYT will literally stage theatre outside the box before Graffiti: From Walls to Stage begins inside the Philip Sherlock Centre. A dozen players will engage the audience on the lawn in 'School Yard', an adaptation of ring games and, as Joseph Collington puts it, "what children used to do in a schoolyard setting". However, Shola Collins says "we are going to use youth issues to change up these songs". Among the topics which will be addressed are child abuse, peer pressure and poverty.

The JYT members will portray high school students, aged 12-17 years old, in the 30-minute interactive session, which is naturally open to anyone, and Collins says "we are trying to grab some of the different age groups in the audience to show their moves".

"The first part is really getting the audience together," Monique Smith says and Collington adds that it encourages everyone to "just free up". Of course, there is always the possibility that some persons may enter the 'School Yard' outside but not go on to read the Graffiti inside, but McLaren says, "If they do not come in they will be missing out."

Formed in 2004 from among the best actors in the annual School's Drama Festival, the Jamaica Youth Theatre received the Prime Minister's Youth Award for Excellence in Arts and Culture for 2007. Their previous major productions have been Easton Lee's Tarshan Lace and Velvet (2004), Sam Hilary's Chippy and Hall Anthony Ellis' 1888 (2005), Sylvia Wynter's Maskarade (2006), Errol Hill's Man Better Man (2007), Ted Dwyer's Mansong (2008), and Zeno Constance's Duelling Voices (2009).