Salmon sheds light on Blindspot
The team at Jambiz International, the local theatre production outfit, is eyeing another successful run with its comedy Blindspot.
The producers have again assembled their regular cast of players — Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, Camille Davis, Sakina Deer, Sharee Elise, and Courtney Wilson — to bring to life this work from the pen of Patrick Brown and direction by Trevor Nairne. They have, however, co-opted young actress Lackeisha Ellison to complete the cast.
Lenford Salmon of Jambiz told the Jamaica Observer that due to the rigours of the production schedule with performances, sometimes seven days a week, a number of the actors will alternate roles and that is one of the reasons Ellison has been brought in.
“The truth is, at times, one becomes a victim of their own success. And the fact that we have shows all week has begun to take a toll on our actors’ personal and other lives. We strive to take a Monday off, but there are times we get a call from someone who says their co-worker has cancer and they would like to stage a benefit performance to raise funds, and the only night we can facilitate them is a Monday and we have to call out the team. So, a few of the girls will have alternating roles in order to facilitate this.”
Salmon explained that Blindspot is a comedy which, in the vein of their past works takes serious, complex situations and sheds a comedic light on them.
“Comedy is our forte. That is not to say that’s all we can do, but for now it is what the market demands and we are a commercial entity. So in order to remain viable, we must give the market what it demands. If the market shifts some time down the road, in another 20 years or so, then we will gladly comply,” he argued.
In Blindspot record producer Ben, (played by Campbell) is madly in love with his personal assistant Jen (Deer/Ellison). But her sole focus, apart from being super efficient in her job, is remaining loyal to Scar (Wilson), the father of her only child who she claims is away on farm work.
Scar turns up unexpectedly and is not too happy that his woman is assistant to this rich, single, popular record producer. The fact that Ben’s home doubles as his office does not help much either. The tension reaches fever pitch when news breaks that Scar is a wanted fugitive and is armed and dangerous… pandemonium breaks loose in Ben’s house.
Blindspot comes on the heels of a successful run by the previous Jambiz production, The Duppy Whisperer, which Salmon notes was taken on the road and to select venues across the island.
“We were able to go on the road for the first in a long while due to the overwhelming requests. However, due to the special effects in this production, only a limited number of venues could accommodate us. In addition, some of the suggested venues were just not up to our standards, which is one of the sad things. We really lack venues,” said Salmon.
Blindspot opened on Wednesday at the Centerstage Theatre in New Kingston.
— Richard Johnson