Living in a Caribbean household is a rich tapestry of emotions, from the highs of jubilation to the lows of frustration and the constant interplay of affirmation and negation.
It's a rollercoaster ride that many Caribbean descendants can relate to.
Playwright and screenwriter Andrea Scott is a Jamaican descendant who meshes together a scenario that tackles all the nuances of a Jamaican household in her new play, Get That Hope, showing now at the Stratford Festival. Directed by thespian, writer and director André Sills in his directorial debut at the Stratford Festival, the play takes place in a place familiar to many Caribbean folks—the historical Little Jamaica in Toronto.
The play’s synopsis introduces us to the Whyte family, which is loosely based on Scotts’ real family. Ginger beer is cooling, and rice is soaking, ready to celebrate Jamaican Independence Day on a sweltering hot day. However, the family squabbling and other Caribbean-isms threaten to ruin the special day Richard Whyte had in mind.
Many have been privy to this type of event and its outcomes, but the dynamic is perhaps one that’s hardly depicted on stage. While Scott was in Stratford as a mentee, she saw Long Day’s Journey Into Night by Eugene O’Neil and the essence of Get That Hope was born. She decided it was something she had to bring to the forefront of Canadian theatre, especially at Stratford Festival, so the Caribbean diaspora could be represented on a big stage.
