An entertainment package of colourful dialogue, creative plot and ingenious set design best describes the latest dramatic production of the Edna Manley College’s School of Drama, The Ladies’ Room, written by Rodolfo Santana. The William Lampert-directed play was originally set in Venezuela, and later translated by Charles Philip Thomas.

Remarkably, the translation does not distort any of the emotional appeal or effects of the riveting climax which thickens and builds in a timely yet unpredictable fashion until the inevitable release.

The Dennis Scott Studio Theatre was hardly recognisable as the carefully crafted arrangement lacked no essential detail and bore no resemblance to the once bare stage. Ron Steger’s conversion of the space into an actual ladies restroom wowed the audience and fed their unbridled anticipation for the actual play. On arrival you notice a fully furnished bathroom, complete with stalls, tiled flooring, potted plants, full-length mirrors, pipes and facets, and sink, toilets, and even a defined area for smoking and applying make-up. An attendant, Carmen, played by Ilse Zoerb (an exchange student from New York) was even thrown into the mix. It soon became evident that her inclusion in the proceedings went far beyond completing an otherwise inanimate set, as she keeps the peace and restores sanity and sanitation among the troublesome and troubled visitors to her domain.

The provocative and telling play was an enticing assemblage of twisted storylines, playful characters played by well-dressed ladies in stilettos and posh outfits. The Ladies Room is a play with ten female and two male characters which takes place in the bathroom of a popular night club. Its plot eliminates issues within the lives of the characters as they lament and give out echoes of the regret, disappointment and defeat that categorise their very personal – and in some instances sordid – circumstances: spousal abuse, errant daughters, medical problems, career changes, politics and sexuality. Chrystal Cole’s character, Dawn, a drunken heart-broken spinster, certainly divulges too much information about her past and current state of affairs, much to the amusement of the audience. Also the uninhibited animosity that exists between mother Francine, played by St Lucian student Tracy Dolcy, and daughter Marine, whose role was sufficiently executed by Shaneen Hosey, significantly added to the audience’s enchantment.

From a more general perspective, this play explores the nuances of a decadent society with challenges of a sexual, and violent nature, that affect its primary characters and those with whom they are connected. Illicit drugs and sex as well as failed relationships are prevalent throughout the plot while corruption forms the basis of the characters’ indifference to political figures of authority. The Ladies’ Room tells a story of a world ruled by egocentricity, unscrupulousness, violence, addiction, a lack of the ethic principles and aims, and aesthetic standards that ought to govern social interactions of friends, strangers and others who fall between these extremes. Although written in 1987, the themes explored and issues discussed are relevant to today’s society, even more so than its original Latin American context.

The main subplot is Roland (a male transvestite and an employee of the night club), superbly played by Kamal Lewis, trying to get the opportunity to present a part of his “show” in which he imitates a real well-known soap opera star, who also ended up in the ladies room. His repeated denial of and resentment for his genetic make-up is comically weaved into the scenes and offers some explanation for the considerably ample time he spends in the ladies room. The dialogue and story lines, gleaned from actual secret recordings, culminates in a powerful surprise ending which provoked much discussion and controversy at the work has been presented.

Ironically, the most convincing performance came form Dewayne Stewart, who in his role as Carl, a congress man, made a powerful statement about domestic violence and male dominance in abusive relationships in the final scene. His inclusion in the climatic moments and believable depiction of a desperate man no longer in control of his radical actions and who have neglected his moral orientation, triggered waves of excitement through the expectant viewers just before the dramatic ending. The Ladies Room offered what regular patrons in the performing society yearn for – excitement and an enthralling series of exploring controversial issues with a comical flair. Needless to say, Ladies Room delivers the total package.