John-John’s Blue Debuts at the Bliss
Tonight, the Bliss stage will come alive as Saint Martin De Porres presents John-John’s Blue. It’s a play that has been adapted from Evan X Hyde’s anthology, Feelings and features three story lines that depict social issues such as gender-based violence, police brutality, teenage pregnancy and challenges facing black south side young men. While the play is set in the 1970’s, these issues are still prevalent in this day and age. The play shows for two nights only and features some well-known Belizean influencers. It’s a fundraiser for the parish and News Five’s Duane Moody was at one of the rehearsals.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It’s a fundraiser to assist the students at Saint Martin de Porres Primary School and starting tonight at seven p.m. John-John’s Blue is a play that pulls from Evan X Hyde’s Feelings and put together by producer, co-director and playwright, Melissa Castellanos-Espat.
Melissa Castellanos-Espat
Melissa Castellanos-Espat, Director, John-John’s Blue
“The fundraiser is needed. We host over five hundred and fifty students at the primary school and it is a very important project because if you know the students who attend Saint Martin De Porres come from very impoverish areas; they have so many circumstances that they are struggling to live with. So we decided that this would be a really good avenue to get some of those needed funds. But what better way than to highlight the social justice issues happening in the Lake Independence area – but not only the Lake Independence area, but the south side of Belize in general. I took three of the stories in Feelings and three of those stories include two pieces of “Caroline,” one piece of “Weh John-John Deh?” and I created John-John’s Blue.”
Castellanos-Espat says that the play speaks to real issues that were happening in the seventies and have transcended time and are still very much relevant today. It is raw, and for a mature audience.
Melissa Castellanos-Espat
“We have to embrace our culture. we can’t be hiding and thinking that these things don’t exist. One of the bigger issues that we want to highlight is poverty. Police brutality, poverty, gender-based violence of course – because we have to look at the issues that are happening out there. So poverty being the number one theme that kinda is the umbrella for all the different elements happening in the place, so we are touching on that. What is interesting about the play is that when Evan X Hyde wrote this thing, he’s raw; he’s real, he is extreme in how he describes things and he has a passion for it. And so we knew that what was happening on stage also has to reflect who he is. We talk about these issues all the time and there are things that happen and if we just pretend they don’t, then we’re not solving the issue and it has been ignored since 1975. So this is kinda opening that Pandora box to say let’s talk about it, let’s see what conversations happen. Don’t be surprise at the content, but be surprise that we have been neglecting the issues for so long.”
The play features Belizean personalities such as Audrey Matura, Indira Craig, Tremett Perriott, Karen Rosito, Carlos Perrote, Elsworth Castillo, Yas Thalia, Steve “the Groove Master” Perriott, David Morey, and myself. Radio host and producer Sharmane Garcia is also part of the cast. Her character is Martha.
Sharmane Garcia
Sharmane Garcia, Cast Member, John-John Blue
“Martha is the best friend of Salome who is also Beauty. Martha, she has kids and she kinda flirty and high spirited and all of them good stuff, lee instigator kinda girl. I would say don’t come here with expectations; come here with an open mind come ready to enjoy to be entertained. If you have wah problem with strong language and content, buy yo ticket and give it to somebody else and just make dehn tell yo weh happen right because if you come here, come prepared for whatever.”
Making their debut in theatre are Avaunt Kelly and Cristie Jeffries, who are both sixth form students. They play the roles of John-John and Blue, respectively. Kelly’s character gets caught up in the criminal justice system, while Jeffries battles teenage pregnancy. These are the realities that their generation is facing.
Avaunt Kelly
Avaunt Kelly, Cast Member, John-John Blue
“ A usual black man from south side just trying to get through life, but in this one I get to explain that black man’s story and people get to hear this story that they get to hear the side that most people don’t hear. So I love that I am portraying that someone that has a lesser voice in society.”
Cristie Jeffries
Cristie Jeffries, Cast Member, John-John Blue
“So far the experience has just been wow – working with great people; people just there to push you and motivate you. I can’t even say what to expect in this play. Y’all just need to come out and see what is happening in today’s society and everything. Just come out and see and I know you guys will be very happy about this.”
Seating begins at six p.m. and the show starts at seven p.m. Duane Moody for News Five.
Tickets are available at Saint Martin de Porres, Baked in King’s Park and at the Bliss. They are selling at one hundred dollars for VIP, forty dollars for premium, thirty dollars for reserve and twenty dollars for general admission.
