A smooth-talking philandering pastor struggling with demons of temptation, a husband broken under the weight of a demanding, demeaning wife, and a construction worker who fell in love with a high maintenance prostitute and the consequences of forming the wrong conclusions were explored in a comedic way in the stage play Dem Come A’ Calling.
Held Saturday night at Frank Collymore Hall under the patronage of President, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, the cast of nine actors brought to life the characters created by author Movelle Jordan in her 2020 novelette of the same name and adapted for the stage by actress, writer, and comedienne Peta Alleyne.
The Cecily Spencer-Cross production was chockful of drama in different scenes that offered patrons a look at Barbadian culture via the residents of the rural village of Culpepper Gap with its set design of a standard rum shop in proximity to the church and homes, albeit one in this context – Rebecca’s (Janine White) as it zoomed in on some of the problems in adult relationships.
The rum shop was frequented by Clayton, (Anderson Mr Blood Armstrong), the overly friendly construction worker or “Mr Ready, Set, Gone” as Rebecca called him, who wanted Shantelle to stop working because he loved her and wanted to take care of her, and the wellto-do Earle (Phillip Eno) who lives in the plantation house on the hill with his younger, incorrigible wife Sabrina (Tiffani Williams) who was bent on punishing
him for myriad things while belittling him for his inability to satisfy her sexually.
Temptations of the flesh
The play opened with a lively church service with Pastor Nigel Moore (Simon Alleyne) his 59-year-old wife Phyllis (Peta Alleyne), a devout member of the “born again virgin society” and the choir before the audience heard and saw a screaming Shantelle (Asha Elcock), the prostitute who liked her job which allowed her to be independent, being chased by Vonnie (Carla Springer-Hunte), Rebecca’s friend.
Switching back and forth between the service and Rebecca talking to Vonnie, patrons learnt more about the pastor’s temptations of the flesh and the services offered by Rebecca who seemed to be an astute businesswoman dealing in “recreational pharmaceuticals” which her male customers fancied in addition to being a “therapist, nurse, hidder, and liar” to them, and not a prostitute.
Through the scenes the audience learnt enough about the characters, particularly the men, and what led to their actions in relationships. Clayton also urged the men to discuss their problems with each other.
One of the most poignant scenes in this regard was the conversation between the Moores which examined how the dynamics of their relationship changed over time. She spoke about taking care of their three children, him spreading himself thin with the church, how menopause affected her, her sexual frustration owing to his impotence and how his persistent cheating made her the laughing stock of the village.
He spoke about his struggle with impotence, how her frustrations and believing gossip and not him impacted him negatively, as well as her dedication to the church. He stated he did not cheat but was helping women.
Treat men better
Everything came to a head in the final scene at Rebecca’s home where she and Vonnie were transacting business with the men while their women, Sabrina, Phyllis and Shantelle were outside thinking the worst. After entering the house and seeing their men, Rebecca told them they needed to treat their men better, to stop the gaslighting, the put downs, the excuses, withholding sex, and held them accountable for their complicity in the failing relationships while collecting her money for dispensing Viagra to the men.
Underneath the humour and double entrendre liberally applied throughout the
production lay the foibles of men and women and how they both contribute to the brokenness of relationships invariably through the lack of proper communication and the unwillingness of both partners to see and understand the other’s point of view.
Jan Jordan who played Cyntee the shopkeeper, was the other member of this cast.
In the second act, the director focused on Jordan’s life as contained in her other book Queen of Culpepper. Through a reading of the story and enactments of key moments, the cast took patrons on the writer’s journey from a young age and growing up poor as one of 11 children in the St Philip community of Marley Vale to adulthood.
Evoking memories of a bygone era and lots of laugher, the audience saw her village through her eyes, reminisced about bakes, mauby with froth, trips to the gully, starched underwear, summer days, fishing, diving for sea eggs, and licks from her mother.
They also heard about her relatives, fights among neighbours, the village butcher who had a peculiar way of weighing meat and got lost in her daydreaming about spending time on Culpepper Island.
In addition to thanking the audience for attending Jordan urged them to see the places mentioned and to take in the beauty of her beloved St Philip. (GBM)
