Gad nah sleep

By Devon Dick

Recently, my family attended the Basil Dawkins' production My God Don't Wear Pajamas. This play can be summarised as 'Gad nah sleep'. The general theme is that good triumphs over evil eventually. Evildoers prosper for the moment, but, ultimately, the good guys win. Nevertheless, this is not a holier-than-thou play. It is not a sensationalisation of marriage, family, and other relationships.

This Dawkins play is influenced by his upbringing, that is, he not knowing the name of his father at primary school, meeting his father in Florida as an adult, and attending the funeral of his father. This unusual frankness about his family tree is the branch on which he sensitively handles the psychology of human relationships.

Dawkins, in his usual way, explores forgiveness as a complex issue. It explores bitterness, resentment, hatred, and desire for revenge. Dawkins shows that revenge is often a normal reaction to oppression and injustice, but shows that forgiveness, though difficult, is attainable through divine intervention, and is a worthwhile goal that can bring benefits. In the play, reconciliation is not forced and was not attained by the end of the play, but was a work in progress. He explores the difficulties of marriages based on business, love, selfish desires, and abuse. There are many twists and turns in relationships. Dawkins is the first playwright I know of who has explored a marriage between relations that would be considered taboo. He is not judgmental in scripting the play, though he expounds morals.

FAMILY PROBLEMS

The family has some of the common family problems of drug addiction and deceit. There is the issue of fair sharing of the father's legacy. In addition, the Christian minister has a serious flaw in his past and his passion for ministering to prisoners was because of his history. There is the 'outside' child and the fortunes of a stepchild.

Not for the first time, a Dawkins play explores the difference between the United States (US) and Jamaica. He shows the strengths of both societies and, stereotypically, the woman wants to reside in the US, the land of opportunity, and the man wants to live in Jamaica because there is no place like home.

This is a most enjoyable, entertaining and educational play, though I did cry once. It explores so many emotions and issues in family relationships.

A COMFORTING THOUGHT

The concept that 'God nah sleep' is a comforting thought for 2014. The belief that good overcomes evil should be a rallying cry in our struggle against the monster of crime and economic exploitation. There has been the defeat of colonialism, slavery apartheid, atheist communism, avarice in capitalism, etc. We have seen the triumph of the human spirit in dysfunctional families to produce wholesome relationships. 2014 can be a time of good over evil with the help of God.

Dawkins has a wonderful cast to help him get across his message. The members include Douglas Prout as director; Hilary Nicholson, who started slowly but ended strongly; Zandriann May, who perhaps started too strongly, but mellowed in the end; and strong performances from Donald 'Iceman' Anderson and Jean-Paul Menou.

In 2004, when I met Richard Hart at the 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Caribbean Studies held in Lancaster, England, where he launched his book, we had interesting table talk about his life in Jamaica, Guyana, and Grenada. When he was to introduce Gad Heuman, leading British historian who was the guest speaker for the event, Hart wittingly said Gad will now speak - reminding the audience that Jamaicans pronounce 'God' as 'Gad'.

Indeed, 'Gad nah sleep' as he works his purposes out each year.

PS: Today, my mother, Cynthia, celebrates her 82nd birthday. Happy birthday, Mama!

Reverend Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. He is author of 'The Cross and the Machete', and 'Rebellion to Riot'. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.