Dahlia Harris finds God’s Way, leads others in New Kingston

Choosing God’s Way made easier by Dahlia Harris as she tackles the question ‘if christians have to suffer’…

Currently, at the Theatre Place, Haining Road Dahlia Harris is teaching about God’s Way to all who will take heed. That is through her own experience as Valerie, one of the four characters in the ongoing play of that nme.
As Valerie she is wife of unseen Carlton ‘Donald Martin’ (Dahlia Harris). The other three characters are prayer warriors Deacon (Ainsley Whyte), Samantha (Trudy Campbell) and Georgia (Sabrena MacDonald), as Valerie and Carlton’s daughter entering at the end of the prayer meeting.

The play is unique in addressing a scenario not often confronted at the podium, but very well existing in Jamaica today. The secret question ‘Does the righteous have to suffer?’ silently pondered by many church goers who would love to choose God’s way.

Valerie deals with the issue of suffering indirectly, almost not noticed, except if one is observant. She suffers in silence at first, but comes out almost asking “Why me?” except for her ‘friends.’ In her own way of suffering she endures the patronising of these same friends who she knows have their own perspective on her ‘just rewards.’
The play confronts the issue of the drug or crime lord who leaves for foreign criminal deeds, ensuring his home is secure for his return. The actual plot is crafty as the crime lord is married to a sanctimonious christian, Valerie (Dahlia Harris), who is held in high esteem as the ever righteous sister, so ‘rewarded’, as forementioned, with material wealth for her strong faith, causing others to be in constant retrospect of themselves. Yet this reward brings a two-fold suffering – among her friends before and after her husband’s identity is revealed, and then once revealed she is determined to go through ‘righteous suffering’ for the cause of Christ.

The situational irony is that Valerie is innocent when indirectly ‘blamed’ for her husband’s practices, but guilty in defending her daughter’s involvement when she is ‘being protected. Even though briefly.
It is she overall though who needs to take retrospect on her life when she is suddenly faced with two dilemnas – her blindness at her own realities of her ‘farmwork’ husband being a narcotic kingpin in the United States, and a challenging relationship with her daughter especially after its revealed that her daughter has been his confidante.

There are other issues, but none so impacting as deasling with a narcotic husband and straying almost arrested child, especially when one is hweld in highest regard in church circles. not to mention the struggles resulting when one’s close friend who youve been encouraging into a realtionship turns against you for palying ‘hyprocrite’ at some point.
So through the play, patrons old and young take stock after viewing this well written gospel roots play to influence a choice of God’s Way.
Valerie is humbled and leads by example in her onstage experiences as she like Job of the Bible strengthens her faith in God until her change is wrought. At te play’s end she returns to humble ghetto beginnings, but is comforted along God’s Way.

The play’s drama slowly unfolds but gets sweeter to the taste. Excitement begins early the revelation is made on a broadcast about the criminal husband, and builds at bible verse matches and gripling scenes like the fight between the Valerie and daughter which lands Georgia in hospital and the car park scene where Georgia is almost arrested.

The numbered blunders are forgivelable. These are primarily inconsitency betwen phone rings and phones used, vagueness in how the relationship between Deacon and Samantha matures, and the quickening relationship between Samantha and Georgia which sped past the natural pace of the overall plot.
Dahlia Harris as Valerie could be more dramatic in her critical scenes especially the scene with her lamenting over the current ‘wrath of God’ as punishment for her past ‘sin’ in allowing her friend to drown could have been far more dramatised, at least the night when I saw it.

All’s is forgiven however when considering that she is literally head cook and bottle washer, being producer, director, playwright, eventually substituting for lead actor unavoidably absent.
The observation of this is classic Jamaican style christianity – always seeing current mishaps as recompense for some past ill, is told yet.

An ideal case study of the church today, other issues include sex and intimacy between two church goers, the straying child caught up in a material rush, the woes of Delilah-personality. Samantha comes across as the Delilah of the bible, not because she is manipulating a male, but she manipulates Georgia into preferring her to her own mother – Valerie until she herself is put in he spotlight in going against God’s Way of disciplining the child.
It’s down right Jamaican roots culture of the church, spreading the gospel of God’s way. Bible touting believers, too self righteous to recognise the true value of christianity – love, selflessness and entity for others could be pricked in this well laid out and superbly propped up play.

Overall the construct of the play is solid, although creativity in execution could be better with time. The scenes interchanging around the house is complimentary to the flow of scene chaging – well chosen for the plot. The lighting and music properly handled. To be thanked for complete package are:

Executive Producer DMH Productions
Director Dahlia Harris
Script Dahlia Harris
Stage Manager Bridgette Smith
Set Design Douglas Prout
Kirk Nunes
Se t Construction Atlan Lopez
Andrew Roache

Set Décor Karl Hart
Douglas Prout

Lighting Design MarlonWilliams
Light & Sound Tech Robert Vaughn
Costumes Marie Lovelock
Photography Michael McLeish
Aston Cooke
Publicity Dahlia Harris & Associates
Box Office Helen Steele
Front of House Shauna-Kaye Baker

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