Like most things in life, Jamaica, an island known for the occasional holiday getaway by some of the more wealthy, is not the most luxurious of locales when looked at closely, at least such is the case when described by native islander Debra Ehrhardt.
That is not to say Ehrhardt has no love of her country, as much of her one-woman show,
Jamaica, Farwell, is told with a certain reverence only found by those who perhaps suffered under the civil rife and turbulence felt on the island some years ago. But to hear of the violent-poverty stricken streets of Ehrhardt's childhood neighborhood, thoughts of a restful resort vacation are quickly dashed. Unless of course the idea of morning sprints away from machete wielding thugs is your idea of a healthy workout regiment.
Ehrhardt spent most of her youth in Jamaica before haphazardly escaping the turbulent and politically charged environment by the age of 15. In an attempt to interject a humorous spin on all things tragic, she has crafted a rather intriguing look at her final days in her homeland including a Hitchcock like dash for America with the help of an unsuspecting C.I.A. agent. It is hard to tell at times what veers towards pure farce as Ehrhardt slowly spins her web of stories, yet her soft-spoken and amusing ability to capture attention allows for the story to easily be absorbed.
With a somewhat wide-eyed enthusiasm, Ehrhardt tells of her drunken father constantly losing the family furniture to bad gambling habits, often leaving her and her mother to have makeshift camping nights in their living room. There is a sadness to such a neglected upbringing, but Ehrhardt's self deprecating demeanor never begs for pity, in fact, it allows for a schadenfreude sense of self pleasure at the expense of her tragedy.
A litany of characters make up
Jamaica, Farewell, all inhabited by Ehrhardt as she quickly changes from an adorable childhood friend to a maniacal rapist, and typically does so with a comfortable ease. Some of her personas are not as memorable as others, and tend to sound slightly similar, as Ehrhardt has chosen not to mimic
Sarah Jones' recent show
Bridge & Tunnel with constant costume changes. This aspect of the show, directed by Monique Lai, is not really a concern, as she is able to keep things lively and colorful with her fun inflection and whimsical chatter.
In her account of smuggling money across Jamaica and onto an airplane set for Miami, images of Janet Leigh in "Psycho" come to mind, which is precisely the intended reaction as moments later the eerie theme music is played. Throughout the evening memorable island jams such as Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" and the calypso "Jamaica Farewell" accompany Ehrhardt on her journey.
This story does have a happy ending, which is good for Ehrhardt, as it is in fact a true-life story, or so she says. At the reviewed performance, she brought her son, the first American in her family as she proudly exclaimed, on stage to belt out a Jamaican tune proving he still has some island blood. Although Ehrhardt carries a heavy accent, upon first appearance, her self professed "multi-racial" background is not easily discerned as Jamaican, which at times lends itself to her constant transformations.
The bare bones staging, two blocks and a podium, works well for the show, as does the intimate Whitefire Theatre that she last performed it in. Ehrhardt is currently performing Jamaica Farewell around Los Angeles, with future dates scheduled at the Sherman Oaks theatre. Following Ehrhardt along on her journey is a truly pleasurable experience, and is sure to continue evoking laughs as her comic timing reflects her talents as a writer, having been hired by Fox Productions to craft a sitcom based on her life. Now that might just be worth watching.
For more information, email jamaicafarewell2007@gmail.com or visit
www.whitefiretheatre.com.
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