GLEN “Titus” Campbell, director and lead actor at Jambiz International, is looking to reach a wide audience with the virtual staging of the play Windscream Posse on Mother’s Day weekend.

“Besides continuing to entertain our audience, we hope to reach a vast number of people who couldn’t attend live shows. While many were able to attend in person, there were still those who are located out of town or in the Diaspora who couldn’t come to Centrestage [Theatre]. Once upon a time, we used to tour up to 26 cities to perform in places like Florida, New York, Washington, DC…but in recent years, that has boiled down to about two or three. With the virtual show, there have been people in Switzerland, Japan, UK, and many more countries, who have expressed their excitement about seeing the production,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Windscream Posse starts at midnight on Thursday, May 6 and will be available until midnight on Sunday, May 9, and may be viewed on the Caribtix platform at www.go.caribtixplus/centerstage.

As with other Jambiz productions, Windscream Posse uses a comedic vehicle to shine the spotlight on a societal ill, without seeking to trivialise the situation. This time, writer Patrick Brown looks at child abuse, and he does so through the lens of a set of runaway children who roam the streets of Kingston to escape unbearable abuse, whilst making an honest hustle to survive by wiping windscreens. The cast also includes, Sakina Deer, Courtney Wilson, Keisha Patterson, and David Crossgill.

Although many theatre practitioners have been forced to move productions online, Campbell does not believe this will detract from live performances.

“It will not take away from live threatre. Virtual plays will continue to exist in some way, but live performances will always be relevant because part of it is about audience interaction…being able to see your audience’s reaction in real time and getting them involved. Virtual theatre has its place, and it’s certainly become more acceptable since the pandemic, but as a people, we love to party, we love to attend live shows and we love seeing live plays,” he added.

Campbell promises that it will be a treat.

“You’ll be getting a first-class, quality performance. What you’ll be seeing is a taped version of the play shot on set. It is appropriate for the family and can be a Mother’s Day treat for mom, or if you prefer to gather as a family after dinner and watch it together,” he said.