Oliver Samuels to star in Easton Lee’s classic ‘The Rope and the Cross’

King of Caribbean Comedy Oliver Samuels will be swapping his comedic crown for a major dramatic role when he stars in Easton Lee’s play The Rope and the Cross.

Samuels takes on the role of the shepherd narrator at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning in Jamaica, Queens, and he, alongside the play’s director and producer, David Heron, shared with The Gleaner why theatre-goers should embrace him in this role and what patrons can expect from the iconic play first mounted close to 50 years ago.

As Samuels explained, it was a fairly easy decision, influenced by the synergy he shared with Heron, who sought him out for the role. “I had never had the opportunity to work with David, so when he approached me, I was happy. Plus, it was only one time that I did a performance reading,” said Samuels.

A performance reading is a production in which the actors execute the play with lights, sound, visual effects and all the production elements while the actors perform the play from scripts. As Heron added, the audience gets to enjoy the full performance effect, but it is a way of presenting great theatre on a budget and with fewer rehearsals. “I must say that I have done several staged concert readings where actors have come in, and they are so familiar with the script that they don’t even look down. So it’s really an interesting experience for audience members who have never seen it before, but they enjoy it just as much as if it were a traditionally presented production,” he shared.

For Samuels, it will also allow him to showcase his depth, as long before he was known for comedy, he performed many serious roles in his early career. “I don’t have a problem whether it be comedic or dramatic. It’s just that most people don’t know that side of me,” said Samuels.

This was also part of the reason Heron pitched it to him; he wanted to present a different side of Oliver. “He is known for comedy, and deservedly so. However, with that accolade, what is missed is that Oliver Samuels can do so much more. The Rope and the Cross deals with the serious subject of the crucifixion story told through a distinctly Jamaican lens. Oliver’s role is that of the shepherd narrator who is a bridge between the story on stage and the audience. He weaves the tale from past and present, bringing together the Jamaican sequences in rural Jamaica with those in ancient Jerusalem and [bringing] them into the story,” said Heron, adding that there are some light moments in the play. “Some of the things he says are very funny, but the play overall is not a comedy. He is underrated as a dramatic actor, and hopefully, this allows audiences to have a peek into the vast recesses of talent he possesses and the versatility he has always had,” he said.

When asked about how Jamaicans in the diaspora react to plays versus those at home, Samuels shared that there is not much difference, except that their social background may determine their behaviour. “Working-class people enjoy it in a different way while the upper class are a little more analytical,” he said. Heron agreed and stated that there are Jamaicans abroad who go to the theatre all the time, and not just Jamaican plays. “They can afford to see Broadway or off-Broadway productions, and then you have those who only go when it’s a Jamaican play or when Oliver is in it. I can’t tell you how often it has been for me here in New York promoting a play, and the first thing they ask is ‘Oliver inna it?’ and if Oliver is not in it, then they say ‘Alright, me will tink bout it.’ He is probably the only living Jamaican actor who can pull an audience like that,” Heron shared.

The director shared that for many, Samuels reminds them of home. “I’m so grateful that he’s doing it. I never got a chance to work with so many of Oliver’s peers like Leonie Forbes and Volier Johnson, so when I met Oliver, I said, ‘Oliver, me a grab you!’ He is raring to go, and I hope I have half of his energy when I get to his age. At 77, Oliver has earned his right to kick up his feet, so before he go retire on me, let me do something,” said Heron, adding that “Oliver is Jamaica”.

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com