MARY COULD DANCE

September 2006 begins a year of the celebration of TT’s longest running play that will see the completion of the filming of the screenplay as well as the play being performed internationally as part of its tenth anniversary celebration that runs until October, 2007.

To premiere this celebration, Mary Could Dance will run for three nights only at Trinidad’s newest theatre, ‘The Strand’ (formerly Strand Cinema, corner of Dundonald Street and Tragarete Road, Port-of-Spain.)

The play centres around the life of the main character “Mary,” who as a young girl was once the best folk dancer in the village of Siparia. She escapes her village life and an abusive step father and ends up in Port-of-Spain where her once pristine folk dancing skills have degenerated into the life of an exotic dancer/prostitute as a matter of survival. Into this new life returns her ‘first love’ “Brian” who had migrated some 11 years earlier to the United States but had promised to return.

The play takes an insightful and colourful look into characters that are inherently Trinidadian and is filled with scandal, exotic dancing and yet tempered with moments of love, pathos and then like a roller coaster takes the audience on yet another emotional journey to sex and the world of prostitutes and private dancers.

Mary Could Dance has enjoyed an almost cult following since its first showing and is heralded among the best, if not the best theatre to come out of Trinidad and Tobago. There are some patrons who have seen the play over 20 times and enjoy it every time it returns.

Its stellar and awarding winning cast includes Penelope Spencer, Cecilia Salazar, Richard Ragoobarsingh, Glenn Davis, Dionne McNicol and Roger Dickie. It was directed by Raymond Choo Kong. Mary Could Dance is on today to Sunday for three nights only. Tickets cost $100 and are available at the Strand.