Ingrid Griffith’s gripping one-woman drama Demerara Gold finds its way home this month with shows at the National Cultural Centre, Theatre Guild, New Amsterdam Multilateral School and Lichas Hall in Linden.
According to a press release, Ingrid’s play, based on her true life story, has 18 characters and she plays them all. It is about the life of a seven-year-old girl, Ingrid, who, along with her sister, is left in Guyana in the care of her two grandmothers while her parents travel to America. One of the grandmothers is a rigid recluse and the other a religious fanatic. When Ingrid finally arrives in America to reunite with her parents, she finds an embittered immigrant father who rails at “this blasted life,” and lashes out at his wife and children.
The release notes that Ingrid Griffith is a classically trained actress and she is comfortable with farce and confrontation and with subtle adjustments of voice and bearing.
She can transform herself from an arthritic grandmother to a swashbuckling gold prospector, the release says.
Among the characters she plays, apart from herself are: her sister Dawn, her parents, grandmothers, and school friend.
The release said too that audiences have been thrilled with Ingrid’s recent performances. These include: a supporting role in Buckingham, a period piece by Tina Andrews about slavery and African bloodlines in British royalty in May, 2013 at the Southampton Cultural Center and excerpts from Demerara Gold at Soho Playhouse as an opening act for Debra Erhardt’s popular Jamaica Farewell in June 2013. In addition, the release said, this April, she drew raves for her performance at the John Jay Black Box Theater as Mama Nadi, the lead character in Ruined, a play by Lynn Nottage about brothel women in war-torn Congo.
“But there is nothing like seeing an actress like Griffith tell her own story through the words of a range of characters on a bare stage. Griffith brings her story to its hilarious and dramatic heights and to its heart-pounding conclusion,” the release said.
Demerara Gold will take to the stage at the NCC on Saturday, January 17 at 20.00 hrs and on this occasion is half of a two-play ticket, the second being Pandora’s Box presented by graduates of the National School of Theatre Arts & Drama. Tickets for this show cost $1,000.
The next day Gems Theatre Productions presents Demerara Gold at the Theatre Guild from 18:30 hrs. Tickets for this show cost $2,500 and include a pre-show cocktail.
There are three more shows, which are for school children: Thursday, January 15 at 10.30 am at New Amsterdam Multilateral School; Friday, January 16, at 10.30 am at Lichas Hall, Linden and Monday January 19 at 1 pm at the National Cultural Centre.
The price for tickets for these shows is yet to be confirmed and will be communicated to schools.
