The Ritual
by: Zeno Obi Constance
With Banana Boat Productions
Production Designer: Meganne George
Lighting Designer: Rychard Curtiss
Costume Designer: Merlina Rich
Pre-Show Creation: Richard Wentz
Director: Melody Brooks
Associate Director: Shykia Fields
Co-Producer: Merlina Rich
Stage Manager: Jessica Prince
Assistant Stage Manager: Eva Licht
With:
Janelle Clayton
Shykia Fields
Angela Fraser
Nadege Matteis
Cassandra Ogbozor
It’s Friday morning, first period at Senior Secondary School in Trinidad and Omega is pregnant. Through “ritual” portrayals of the world around them, her friends, five students, come to understand that the real key to empowerment lies within them. The play is highly stylized – each actor plays one of the girls as well as members from their community – lecherous taxi drivers, sanctimonious bourgeois, attractive Rasta boys, pompous judges, and frightened parents.
Audiences raved:
“Intelligent, resonant, great writing, great acting”
“This play is iconic and historical, but relevant to the plight of powerless young women and girls in male dominated misogynist society, a must see”
“Profound, intense, absorbing”
“Enchanting, quirky, relevant, and fun”
“An excellent young cast”
“These young women do a great job in telling this story. They are fun to watch and each of them give their characters a powerful embodiment”