Dance Bongo more than a play for audiences

A play layered with themes of African sacredness which provokes the audience to consider “who they are”.

This is how theatre practitioner and Director of Dance Bongo, Jaykel Mars describes the one-act fantasy play to be staged as the feature presentation in the National Performing Arts Festival later this month.

Vincentian theatre lovers are no stranger to Dance Bongo, written by Trinidadian Errol Hill, as it has been staged locally several times in the past. The dance is a ritual usually performed at wakes, but in the play, it has become the main source of entertainment and commercial activity in the village.

“Anybody dead bout here today? Anybody dead or dying?” These are the opening lines of the play, delivered by ‘Stranger’, the main entity who comes to disrupt the usual routine of the rural Cedarpost Village and opens the door for a three-way conflict.

Mars has infused the play with elements of the Spiritual Baptist faith and other Afro-centered spiritual practices as he believes the exploration of African sacredness will prompt audiences to consider their heritage.

“I hope that Dance Bongo, through its conflict and presentation on stage, prompts the community that comes to see it to reconsider conversations about who they are.”

Mars, who had his directorial debut in 2015 with ‘Tears of Exile’ written by Trish St Hill, has amassed a collective of fresh and seasoned creatives for this iteration of Dance Bongo, including Dance Director, Kanille Brudy, who studied at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica; Music Director, Dawson Billingy, who has composed original music for the production; and a drum ensemble lead by Clenetta Brudy.

He describes that St Vincent and the Grenadines, like Cedarpost Village, is at a “cultural crossroads” where there is the need to strike a balance between traditional and contemporary art.

“Dance Bongo prompts us to consider the African, and on the heels of the granting of the Spiritual Baptist holiday …I would say if you or anybody who is on the hunt to find out who you are and where you are going, then Dance Bongo is for you.”

Trinidadian film-maker, Fabian Guerra, plays the role of Stranger and he said there are many messages from which audiences stand to benefit.

“Dance Bongo incorporates all the facets of the performing arts, acting, singing, and dancing, and it is purely Caribbean culture. The plot of the play is something many people can appreciate in terms of dealing with grief and guilt.”

Fellow cast mate, Dianna Cain and radio announcer who plays the Old Woman, believes audiences will be drawn to the mystery in Dance Bongo and the portrayal of sacred ritual practices used in the Caribbean.

“Whether we want to accept it or not, it is embedded in us. It would be great to come out and see a production that has all those elements in it.”

Dance Bongo will be staged on November 29 and 30 at the Peace Memorial Hall.