AT least one local theatre company is taking advantage of Government’s green light to segments of the local entertainment industry.

Jambiz International will be returning its production, The Windscream Posse to the stage from August 1-9. However, the company — whose home base is at Centrestage Theatre located on Dominica Drive In New Kingston — will instead play at the Little Theatre, also in the Corporate Area.

According to Jambiz Director Lenford Salmon, one of the stipulations attached to the Government’s green light to local theatre and cinema is to operate at 60 per cent of the theatre’s seating capacity, which would mean that given the size of Centrestage Theatre it would not be feasible to meet the requirement, therefore alternative arrangements had to be sought.

“Jambiz is really seen as the leaders in local theatre so many persons said to us if anyone in local theatre is going to test the waters, it had to be you. We looked at all the elements and realised the only way we can go ahead, given the 60 per cent of seating capacity protocol, is if we found a larger venue. The Ward Theatre is not ready, so we went for Little Theatre.”

The Little Theatre seats 600 persons and Salmon noted that Jambiz will cap seating for its production at 350 persons.

In addition to seating capacity regulations, strict government-mandated protocols will be in place at the theatre.

“I just want to make it clear that persons without a mask will not be admitted into the theatre. Patrons will have their temperature checked on arrival and hands sanitised. Persons who arrive in a party will be allowed to sit together, however there must be unoccupied seats between them and other persons. The SDC [Social Development Commission] has been charged to monitor this and they will be on location to monitor. The actors must also be 10 feet away from the audience and the Little Theatre lends itself to this, given the size of the stage and the orchestral pit. At Centrestage we would have struggled to meet this requirement as that is a much more intimate space,” said Salmon.

There will be six performances of The Windscream Posse during this run, a number of which are to satisfy benefit performances which had been purchased ahead of the lockdown that started in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We use social media in a lot of our marketing efforts and we sent out feelers to gauge the situation. The response was that even though persons are apprehensive, should the protocols be observed, they would be willing to support. The cast and crew feel the same way. They are willing and ready to go, but want to ensure that everything is safe for all concerned before making their way back onto the stage,” Salmon noted.

He said depending on the feasibility of this initial run, a decision will be taken as to whether or not Jambiz performances will continue at the Little Theatre.

“We have gotten no preferential treatment to use the theatre; we met with the management and it was available for rental. Normally the Little Theatre would have been booked solid for this time of year. We don’t know what will happen as other performing arts groups fire their furnace and ready themselves. But, if it is available and depending on how this goes we could look into perhaps performances of The Windscream Posse on weekends for the month of August,” said Salmon.

The Windscream Posse is written by Patrick Brown and directed by Trevor Nairne. The production stars the team from Jambiz headed by Glen “Titus” Campbell, Sakina Deer, Keisha Patterson, David Crossgill and Courtney Wilson.