MAYLYNNE Lowe has been heralded as one of Jamaica’s most talented thespians, consistently hitting the mark in major commercial productions. Popularly known for her role as Tanya Blackburn on the local television soap The Blackburns, Lowe has earned the nod from local producers several times over based on her ability to deliver intriguing work on stage.

This is evidenced by the number of productions Lowe has starred in since her return to Jamaica from the United States where she pursued formal training in the arts at Emerson College in Boston and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

Among her stage credits are Annie Palmer in The Fairfield Theatre’s White Witch, Jam Reggae Opera and YES with Father Holung and Friends, the Basil Dawkins’ productions Uptown Bangarang I and II and Which Way is Out?, Maharani’s Misery with the University Players, Jambiz International’s Vibes and The Last Stand, Love & Marriage & NY City and 4Play with David Heron, Man a Yaad and Making a Killing. Glory to Glorianna and Twang are among her film credits.

Lowe has now turned her attention to Stages Productions latest theatrical offering Ghett-O-Life, scheduled to open at the Green Gables Theatre on July 30. Lowe’s character, Barbara, is quite unlike any other persona she has tackled on stage. Barbara is a certified ghetto diva who has found herself two million dollars richer following the mysterious death of her husband in the United States.

She, however, faces a major hurdle. How can she retrieve the cash and then transport it to Jamaica without being detected? She teams up with Ruler who, through his questionable connections, engineers a plot to transport the cash to Jamaica in its ‘raw’ state using a number of persons to ensure its ‘safe’ passage through customs.

Among his contacts is the Mayor who offers this safe passage if Barbara helps him persuade the ghetto people to sell their land in order to make way for a new housing development. As the plot gets more complicated, Ruler’s association with Barbara deepens; raising serious concerns for his wife Maude who is determined to hold on to her man.

Chairman of Stages Productions BL Allen, who is also directing the work, says Lowe’s inclusion further indicates the organisation’s professional approach to the theatre industry. According to Allen, “Theatre is our business and as we expand the number of productions each year, we also expand our human resource by not only extending employment, but necessary exposure to our talented local actors.”

Working with Lowe on stage will be the extremely talented Keith ‘Shebada’ Ramsay, Maxwell Grant, Luke Ellington, Abigail Grant, Junior Williams and Orville Hall.

Written by Michael Denton, Ghett-O-Life will play at the Green Gables Theatre from Wednesday to Saturday at 8:30 pm with two shows on Sundays at 5:00 pm and 8:30 pm.