Barracks sounds ‘Ananda Alert’

On Saturday, July 13, the Barracks Theatre hosted a presentation of social commentary through theatrical expression. The play, Ananda Alert – written, directed, and produced by Fabian Barracks – sought to embody the amalgamation of neglect, trauma, ignorance, and tragedy that largely characterises the epidemic of child abductions in Jamaica.

As the play’s title suggests, the message was spurred by the horrific abduction and murder of five-year-old Ananda Dean more than a decade ago, which resulted in the creation of the emergency Ananda Alert protocol for child abductions in 2008.

Starring Crystal Fletcher as bright, young, and ambitious Shaday Sinclair, the drama follows the young woman as she attempts to navigate the tumultuous period of high school, marked heavily by academic pressure and romantic/sexual curiosity.

Shaday must do so under the roof of her emotionally neglectful mother, Diane (Aisha Davis), and a well-meaning but under-informed grandmother, Pearl (Gracia Thompson). Both Shaday and her best friend, Fendi (Shantol Jackson) illustrate the grave danger that can easily surround a young Jamaican girl when the protagonist is trapped in the wiles of an unstable criminal who had previously posed as a friendly figure.

The play addressed the themes of abuse, neglect, social-media danger, and criminality to an attentive audience at the 250-seat Barracks Theatre. Such themes are not uncommon for the award-winning playwright, who seems to have made it his duty to highlight them in productions like Family Remedy (2010-11), Ting-a-ling-a-ling (2012), Gaza Boyz (2013), Bad Apple (2014), Force Ripe (2015), Barrel Pickney (2016), Wah Sweet Nanny Goat (2017), and Black Sheep (2018).

The Barracks Theatre, on 53 Molynes Road near the Olympia Crown Hotel, held its official opening on June 28, 2019, with a showing of Ananda Alert. Anyone with an interest in Jamaican theatre or Jamaican issues should be excited for more stimulating productions from the theatrical hub known as Barracks Enterntainment.

Barracks said: “I feel very burdened by youth issues. Whenever I read the newspaper or watch the news, I see some horrific things that evoke all sorts of emotions in me. My way of helping is to write.”

We can therefore expect more gripping social commentary at Barracks in the future.