by Leslie-Anna Joseph 31.OCT.08

“Don’t listen to the lies the other airlines tell you. at LIAR we are all L-I-A-R-S”. This ad brought fits of laughter on the second night of the drama “Oh, Daddy!”, a musical Vincy Soap Opera held on October 18th, 2008, at the Peace Memorial Hall.{{more}}

The audience waited eagerly in silence and with all eyes glued on the stage as Sam Grant (John Horne) and Gloria (Ann-Marie Hunte) came on stage. Sam is a widowed, retired detective of the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. He is full of secrets, and because of a previous mild heart attack, he walks around with an intravenous drip attached to him. Gloria, his daughter, is recovering from a failed romance, but has entered into an affair with Reverend Rick (Anthony Theobalds), her old boyfriend from school, which adds to her personal drama.

At the end of it all, Gloria finds out that her father is still meddling in police affairs, drinking, has a baby on the way, whose mother happens to be Rosy (Rachael Davis), the family’s housekeeper. Rosy is Gloria’s age. Gloria is devastated when she finds out her father Sam is also in the ganja business with Elbie (David “Darkie” Williams), Sam’s oldest friend.

Gloria, also caught up in her own drama, informs her friend Keisha (La-Fayette Johnson) that Reverend Rick does not know that her grown child is not his, but belongs to a man she met on a cruise. The drama intensifies when Gloria learns that the good Reverend is married.

“Oh, Daddy!” is written and directed by Marc Erdrich, and features Deighton Anderson, Chester Connell, John Horne, Ann-Marie Hunte, La-Fayette Johnson, Tabia Matthews, J.P. Schwmon, Anthony Theobalds, Chester Toney, David “Darkie” Williams, Shernelle “Skarpyon” Williams and Rachael Davis, among many other talented individuals in music, dance and drama.

Director of the “Oh, Daddy!” soap opera, March Erdrich, told SEARCHLIGHT he would like to see the beginning of a repertoire drama company here in St. Vincent so more dramas could be produced on a regular basis and performers can be paid. He said drama is very expensive, but voiced that support from bigger companies can help. “Oh, Daddy!” was choreographed by Pamela Ratti, and the music was directed by Ruth Boerger.