Ma Popo was the character who stole the show on Friday night when the Dominican delegation put on Your Son My Husband, a play with a positive spin on marriage, at the Bishops High School.
The hilarious comedy, which was staged by members from the New Dimension Theatre, proved to be a huge hit with the capacity crowd gathered in the school’s auditorium.
Ma Popo (Donille Blackmore) is the disagreeable mother and mother-in-law in the drama who tries to destroy her son’s recent marriage to May (Samantha Matthew), a woman she despises. She would have preferred if her son had married his previous girlfriend June, who she feels possesses all the positive qualities which May does not have. The scheming woman goes to great extremes to divide the union and her son Johnny (Al Mathurine) is caught between his love for his mother and that for his wife.
If dealing with a difficult mother-in-law is one thing, May’s woes are intensified by the return of an old boyfriend ‘Bo’ (Anthony Alexander), who wants to renew his relationship with her. Much to May’s dismay, when she refuses ‘Bo’ threatens to reveal their past together to Johnny, who just happens to be his good friend.
However, the attempts by Ma Popo and Bo to divide the marriage are countered by the determination of the couple to make the marriage work, and the goodwill of several other characters. These include Ma Popo’s romantic interest of several years Frankie, May’s father Mr Evans, and May’s best friend Angie played excellently by Monelle Alexis.
Frankie (Harold Sealy) is very supportive to the young couple. Not only does he allow them to live in his family house but he willingly agrees to sell the house to the new couple. More so, he attempts to protect Johnny and May from Ma Popo’s negative influence. He is driven by two things, his passion for liquor and the possibility of him migrating to the USA. The latter dream comes through partially when he is granted a one-month non-immigrant visa.
Mr. Evans (Jerry Coipel) is never short of advice for the newlyweds and is quick to provide financial assistance whenever he can. In fact, he writes the couple a cheque for a substantial amount of money, which enables them to purchase the house from Frankie.
May’s best friend Angie, who lives near to the couple, is a constant voice of encouragement to them.
During one memorable scene just after Ma Popo manages to convince Johnny that his wife is unfaithful, Angie passionately defends her friend.
As time progresses, Ma Popo falls ill and after being hospitalized is forced to stay with Johnny and May. During her illness she grows to love and appreciate her daughter-in-law for who she is; a caring young woman.
The performance ends with the return of Frankie from the USA, who has been deported after overstaying his allotted time. He therefore has now returned to be part of one happy family.
The play was well received by the audience and could be accurately described as a “belly-full of laughs”. In spite of this, the play dealt with some serious issues. The issues of love, marriage and relationships are explored in depth and other issues such as migration come to the fore.
One commendable feature of the play was the deliberate effort to use local parlance so as to make it more applicable to the local audience. Although not necessary, it was still appreciated by the audience as the actors incorporated references to Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chow Pow and the Demerara River in their humour.
The play was written and directed by Steve Hyacinth who is the founder of the New Dimension Theatre and the current Chief Education Officer in Dominica’s Ministry of Education. He has written and directed over 20 plays and has gained particular acclaim for this particular work. According to him, the play appeals to people because it is a “very common situation, which exists in some circles.” However, he hoped that the audience would “appreciate the underlying philosophy inherent in the play.”
He told Stabroek News he was happy this play was being performed at a forum such as Carifesta. He felt the festival was an excellent initiative since it allows for the mingling of talents through which much could be learnt and said mechanisms should be put in place to allow for the constant interactions of the artists.
He was also pleased with the positive response to the play. Friday’s production was the second one held in Georgetown. The first one was also held at the same venue on Thursday night and it drew a full house too. The play was also performed in Berbice and Anna Regina in front of impressive crowds.
