Anthea McGibbon

Ahh well.
Whether you are old, young, or  in between, after a visit to The Pantry Playhouse, New Kingston, more women are sure to go searching for their chapsie. That is having assumed the confidence of Dahlia Harris in the play Me and Mi Chapsie.The benefit performance was held October 28, and well worth each JA$1000 bill.

To the almost-filled to capacity playhouse of guests, one of the not-so-newest aspects of Jamaican culture was bluntly revealed. Joining the growing number of global women whose ‘age has left the calendar’, Miss Marilyn (Dahlia Harris) is not afraid to secure her chapsie, Donald ‘Don’, (Everaldo Creary) even despite her corporate profile as an executive manager of an leading advertising firm.

PANTRY PHOTOS: Ms Marilyn (Dahlia Harris) is comfortable and satisfied without a vist to the doctor.

The play gives interactive lessons on the Jamaican chapsie as being the male version of a boopsie, a younger male living with an older female. The chapsie exchanges sexual favours and companionship for the care of an older woman. Only in Me and Mi Chapsie, both Marilyn and Donald (Don) takes the game to a serious level – long-term commitment, and Don offers more than sexual pleasure. In the long run her lifestyle is adapted by her superior the advertising agency owner’s wife, turned ex-wife, Mrs Donaldson (Carlene Taylor), who gets her groove back, when she meets Don’s friend, Sean (Danar Royal).

The play although not prompting continuous laughter revealed its plot in spell-bounding performances, each scene more captivating than the last.

There are just enough phrases worth catching, but strategically placed anecdotes, when delivered, are well delivered. When least expected, brilliant anecdotes capsized frowns, and ripped bellyfuls of laughter, all still contained in the planned 2 hours of entertainment. Aston Cooke manged to pull tears these punchy lines, which slipped Jamaican men more than women from their seats, placing them on their knees in uncontrollable laughter. For those moments there was continued laughter.

The director, Michael Nicholson is able to maintain his control in his own game, balancing the points of sound, performance, stage props et al to secure another winning production. That is after we move pass the obvious limitations of props for the dancehall and ballroom settings beyond two mere counters, and backdrop. It was just not a play of elaborate and excessive props, and not necessarily needed with the six actors in total, unless you considered cut-out life size silhouettes. However, there was proper allocation of props in the living room to compliment the scenes played out by 2,3, and few times four actors.
Five winks at the efficiency in changing the existing props, but the backdrop for the dancehall scene being used for the corporate party makes one wonder. Also there is some concern when Don and Sean dress more appropriately in their roles at the corporate party than in their own dancehall setting.

Nonetheless, when Miss Marilyn transforms, her costume is as rad as those of the other women throughout, and for her appearance on the dancehall scene Mrs Donaldson’s dress up is well thought through. Me and Mi Chapsie opens with the just turned 50-year-old Miss Marilyn being advised by her helper, Cheryl (Carlene Taylor), on how to act, dance, talk on the downtown scene while being a guest of the popular street dance event ‘Beng Beng’.

By the third scene the missus awakens to learn that she not only brought home and had sex with the selector, Don, but that he is 25, just about half her age. ‘Shocked’ as she is her ‘disgust’ turns to lust, and she invites him to stay over, satisfying his ‘secret wish’.

By the sixth scene Don moves in with Marilyn as her ‘chapsie’ – female version of boopsie. Marilyn increases in confidence, or stubbornness, against the rebuttal of her helper, and blatantly in the face of her coworkers, the more she is satisfied and brought to a ever glow by the loyal devotion and attention by her chapsie. Over time, she learns Don is the ‘former’ lover of the Janice (Marsha Campbell), very friend/subordinate coworker, who not only invited her, but who for reasons beyond anyone’s understanding, introduced him to her at the party.

The thirteen scenes are an equal delight waiting for the attendance of a hungry crowd, craving to explore Jamaica’s culture. Eventually, raw issues faced by Jamaicans every day are dealt with in a pleasing way that encourages even the skeptic to take stock, fess up, and face up, with confidence.

The ‘familar’ helper, Cheryl (Carlene Taylor) confronts and warns the chapsie, Don (Everaldo Creary) PANTRY PHOTO.

The nosey helper, who somehow manages to be more than familiar friend to her employer, giving her advice on living like an earthly Jamaican; the meeting of uptown elites with downtown undesirables on a dance floor and ‘social experiments’; the pretentious friend of a chapsie; the ‘frightened’ downtown freeloaders grabbing more than the offered hands out; the definition of a Jamaican rape; the strategies of a bruised lover to get back her lover and backstab the friend who betrayed her are just a few issues.

One of the given realities and strongholds of  Cooke’s script, however, is the impact of the driving force of love on any one, at any age, in any class structure. Though a subtle hint for some, a brutal hit for others was the fact that real love truly conquers a multitude, and infusing unlikely poles with inexplicable energies.

By the end of the play dancehall selector Donald ‘Don’ is reformed enough to play cards with society’s elite, and ‘uptownie’ corporate executive Marilyn is transformed and able to connect at the ‘forbidden’ grass root levels of Jamaica.  

All tourists should be encouraged to visit this play, a wake up call for those ageing men running happily after the younger and younger skirt tails. After all, when it comes to the matter of the heart or arts for that matter it adds up more than in numbers. It’s becoming less about that 80/20 factor. Choops!

OTHER CRITICAL PERSONS BEHIND THE SCENES: Graphic design, Quebeth Quest; Stills make-up by Cecile Burrowes; Set by Eric Junior; Costumes by Cecile Burrowes; Choreography by Danar Royal; Stage manager Duane Morgan and Bridgette Smith; Lighting and Sound by Marlon Williams; Front of House by Kerron Williams; Box office managed by Helen Steele.

Play Review made possible by Dahlia Harris.

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