The 2010 Tony Awards Ceremony held in New York City at historic Radio City Music Hall on June 13, officially brought the 2009-2010 New York theatre season to its glittering conclusion. And although not among this year’s Tony Award winners nor nominees, Jamaican born actor/playwright David Heron still has much reason to celebrate.

Heron has enjoyed his most successful season yet on the New York stage, appearing in not one, but two of the season’s major Off Broadway triumphs — Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones at the Irish Repertory Theater, and Steve Carter’s Pecong, at the world famous National Black Theater of Harlem.

Written and first performed on Broadway in the 1920’s, The Emperor Jones is the story of Brutus Jones, an African-American man who sets himself up as monarch of an unnamed Caribbean island after escaping prison in the United States. When the island natives rebel against him after years of exploitation, Jones flees into the nearby jungle in an effort to escape.

Heron portrayed the role of Lem, leader of the island rebels.

Directed by Ciaran O’Reilly, the show opened to packed houses and universally positive reviews at The Irish Repertory Theater in October, and, due to overwhelming audience demand, moved on to the larger Soho Playhouse in December, where it eventually concluded a five month run.

Acclaimed African American actor John Douglas Thompson -who is of Jamaican parentage, and who also appeared with Denzel Washington in Broadway’s Julius Caesar several seasons ago- played the title role of Jones, and both he and the show itself were nominated for a slew of 2010 theater awards including citations from the New York Drama Critics Circle, The Drama Desk Awards and The Obie (Off Broadway) Awards.

The New York Times also listed the production on its prestigious list of the Ten Best Shows of 2009, on or Off Broadway.

Within two weeks week of the end of of that run, Heron was in rehearsal for Pecong, Steve Carter’s Caribbean adaptation of Euripides’ Greek tragedy, Medea.

Co-directed by Arthur French and Timothy D. Stickney, the production opened at the National Black Theater in Harlem in March for a sold out, limited three week engagement.

As Jason of Tougou Island – a Calypsonian who breaks Mediyah’s heart by leaving her for another woman and who suffers the consequences of her vengeance- Heron shared the stage with award winning actress Phyllis Yvonne Stickney ( How Stella Got Her Groove Back, What’s Love Got to Do with It?) , and earned some of the best reviews of his career.

The New York Times critic Rachel Saltz hailed him as “the excellent David Heron”, while fellow New York critic Sandi Durrell stated that (“Heron’s) crassness and permeating shallowness (as Jason) makes for a well portrayed character.”

Also appearing in Pecong was Heron’s fellow Jamaican actor Karl Williams, who earned similarly glowing reviews as Heron’s father in law, a retired Calypsonian named Creon Pandit.

Heron believes that the New York success of he and Williams should be encouraging to their thespian colleagues in Jamaica and elsewhere.

“It’s been a remarkable season for me personally, but I hope it’s also inspirational for other Jamaican actors who I think can take something positive from what people like Karl and I are doing,” he says. “For so long, Jamaica has been known as the Reggae capital and the sprint factory of the world. Now I’m hoping we can take our global place in the realm of theater, film and tv as well.”

Heron is still looking forward to his own Broadway debut at some point in the future, “As either a playwright or an actor- it really doesn’t matter. The dream is to get there.” In the meantime, however, he is busy preparing for his next role, as Sebastian in the North Carolina Shakespeare Company’s eagerly anticipated production of The Tempest, scheduled for the fall.