Each time they hit the stage, the Quays Foundation renews their vow to maximize on the potential of the theatre to capture discourse on social consciousness. Their latest performance of ‘Eve’ was a collaboration with WRYS (Woman Rediscover Your Strength), an initiative founded by Camika McLetchie, herself a survivor of domestic violence whose mission is to assist those affected by abuse. For only two shows on the 26th and 27th May, the cast of eight took the stage at the Central Bank Auditorium.
In my experience, it is almost always a guaranteed bright red flag when one person takes on the role of playwright, producer, director and/or actor in the same production. Derron Sandy is one of the few exceptions. In this play, it is particularly risky as Sandy’s undertaking is to write and direct a piece that externalizes the internal monologue of the ‘battered woman’. He makes it work with a seemingly simple but cogent writing and staging technique where the female protagonist is split into six ‘characters’ who each represent a different facet of her personhood, and appear onstage simultaneously. Their personalities and needs are disparate and often clashing, but they experience the same physical sensations from abuse to affection.
The casting of the six Eves is near perfect, with T&T’s own Miss Universe and Miss World titleholder, Tya Jané Ramey appearing briefly as Eve herself, Aaliyah Bristol appearing as Student Eve, Aleya Williams as Bible Eve flanked by Daryan Campbell as Naked Eve, and the mutinous Night Eve being played by Yanna Dyet. I’m still shocked to find out that Acqeisha Ackool, who appeared as Pretty Eve, is a 6th form student who took on the production during her examination season. The maturity and poise that she brought to the role is indeed worthy of praise.
Tya-Jané Ramey| Adinah Sandy Photography
Derron Sandy plays Turner, the abusive husband. While a strong performer, his natural stone-faced demeanour does not feel sinister enough to make me dislike the antagonist as much as I should have. This works, in a sense, by demonstrating that abusers may be the ‘normal guy’ (Trini denotation of ‘normal’ here) rather than the cackling supervillian or detestable waste man from a Tyler Perry movie. For dramatic effectiveness, however, I would’ve liked to feel a bit more venom from Turner’s characterisation. The climactic murder scene is where Derron Sandy shows his best acting, with an all-too-realistic manhandling of Eve’s personalities. It is incredibly difficult to watch, but important nonetheless to witness that this is a painful reality for many women like Eve.
‘Eve’ is a most sophisticated piece of writing, and it takes the audience through several pertinent points of view in the matter of gender based violence. A particularly thought-provoking one is where the ghost of Turner’s father (brought with an excellent performance by Joel Millington) to bring forward the childhood abuse and neglect that laid his foundation. The topic of generational trauma opens up the perspective from seeing the abuser as a wicked person in isolation.
While the cast was well rehearsed and the directing polished for the most part, there are few ‘moments’ that did not hit the emotional depth that they could have. The first act, for instance, ends on a cliffhanger that didn’t quite deliver the punch. There were also some odd moments when the lights go down and come back without having a scene change, but minor in the grand scheme of the play. The stage management and timing were seamless otherwise.
All in all, it is refreshing to witness a play that is as artistic and socially relevant as this – and all for a worthy cause. Hats off to the Quays Foundation! I look forward to what they’ll do next.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Harmony is a poet, actor, dancer, stage singer, researcher, educator, content creator…and the list goes on! In 2019 she graduated from the Guildford School of Acting/University of Surrey with a first class honours degree in Theatre & Performance with Creative Writing, where she grew an interest in writing about the arts. Her passion for performing emerged somewhere between being involved as an ensemble member & soloist for groups in musical theatre, parang, choral singing, dance (ballet, tap and contemporary), spoken word, comedy videos and again, the list can go on. Harmony’s writing is situated between her scholarly focus and her practitioner’s insight.
In 2021 she was awarded the title of Youth Writer of the Year by the Bocas Lit Fest for her theatre reviews and blogs about Caribbean culture. In her capacity as ‘Hotfoot Harmony’, she produces educational content for social media about the lesser known aspects of Trinbagonian culture. She currently works as a secondary school drama teacher while pursuing an MA in Cultural Studies at the U.W.I.
The Trinidad and Tobago Performing Arts Network 