Theatre community to celebrate Trevor Rhone with traditional wake

Saturday, November 21, 2009 3:55 AM

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

To mark the passing of Trevor Rhone - one of the true icons of Jamaican theatre and a creative force which transcended the wider Caribbean into North America and the United Kingdom - the theatre community will host a traditional wake in his honour on Wednesday, beginning at 8:30 pm at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road.

TREVOR RHONE. respond to a question at Bruford College

As befitting a man of his stature, the wake or nine night will include all the traditional trappings. It will be presided over by several of the nation's foremost traditional folk form groups - the Manchioneal Cultural Group from Portland, the Seaforth Kumina Group from St Thomas and the St Ann Senior Citizens' Group. These groups will be joined by a musical innovator in this genre - one whose name would make Rhone laugh out loud in heartfelt glee - the Turbo Plastics Duppy Band from Portland.

Planning for the event is being spearheaded by the Jamaica Association of Dramatic Artists (JADA), headed by president Dorothy Cunningham and the association's inaugural president, playwright and producer Basil Dawkins. Dawkins reports that after advising Rhone's widow, Camella, of the plans, she revealed that among his most recent research documents she found material on nine nights and wakes. This led JADA President Dorothy to comment: "To hear that Mrs Rhone found notes on research by Trevor, which coincides so closely with the traditional manner in which we plan to honour him, is almost surreal. It might lead one to wonder: Is Rhone directing this from behind the curtains?" For those who knew him well, that would not be a surprise.

Often described as arguably the best-known playwright and screenwriter that the Caribbean has produced to date, Rhone began his theatre career as a teacher after a three-year stint at Rose Bruford College in England. With the help of other like-minded creative individuals, he became a large part of the renaissance of Jamaican theatre, co-founding The Barn Theatre - the first local playhouse dedicated to the staging of indigenous plays.

Playwright and producer Basil Dawkins noted that such a movement could only come from a man of Rhone's calibre, not only because he was such a brilliant writer and storyteller, but because he was a visionary who understood the psyche of the everyday Jamaican people with whom he identified and loved.

Testament to Mr Rhone's immense impact is the large number of his plays - inclusive of Smile Orange, Two can Play, School's Out, Old Story Time and, most recently, his autobiographical work Bellas Gate Boy - that have been performed to immense critical and audience acclaim across the Caribbean, North America and Europe, and have also been studied on numerous syllabuses in educational institutions. Additionally, he was a screenwriter, actor, director and producer, listing among his more popular screen plays The Harder they Come (1972) and One Love (2003).

Despite a variety of demands on their stressed budgets, several organisations and individuals responded with alacrity to JADA'S request for financial and in-kind support "to assist in offsetting the costs associated with putting on a tribute which befits the stature that Rhone achieved". Among organisations which have responded to date are Caledonia Outdoor Advertising, Caribbean Broilers, GraceKennedy & Co, Jamaica Broilers Group, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, Jamaica Trade & Invest, National Commercial Bank, OGM Integrated Communications, Pioneer Manufacturing & Distribution Company, Stewart's Auto Sales, Supreme Ventures and Television Jamaica (TVJ)

The public is invited to participate in next week Wednesday's event.

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