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04.08.01 Dat Girl Sho' is Funny: Trey Anthony's new play gives us a taste of the comedic
CaribbeanTales.Org
P. Afua Marcus
Judging from the size of the audience that attended Plaitform Entertainment's Carribean Urban Womyn's Comedy Festival April 17, at the St. Lawrence Centre, Trey Anthony fever continues to rage. Anthony, the author of the hit play, 'Da Kink in My Hair (presently in production with Mirvish Productions) and company member, Rachael-Lea Rickards hosted the sold-out show, Dat Girl Sho' is Funny! which offered up to a variety of comedic talents.
The unconventional, multi-talented d'bi.young made an appearance donning a red knitted skirt which doubled as a mini maternity dress accessorized by black combat boots and black fish net stockings, making pregnancy look both radical and sexy. Sex kitten, Jemini, in her forever clinging attire, had the audience responding to her calls in her relationship-based pieces, Did You F-k My Man and In Love with a Freshie.
Anthony and Rickards made immediate contact with their audience. By the time they introduced Imami Anne Marie Woods, the first act for the evening, they had given the mixed crowd their passport to engage. Woods, a singer/actor/writer, ex-member of a capella group, For The Moment, presented, Sasspirilla, a cockney speaking, leopard print clad (from her headscarf to her sandals, and every piece in between), social commentator, who highlighted with great humour, the sadistic, twisted characters who occupied the Mother Goose Rhymes.
Woods' nursery rhymes outing, was followed by the Plaitform Comedy Troupe, a mixed company of performers headed by Anthony and Rickards, who presented a sketch which featured Trey's character, River Sister, and Angela Davis wig-wearing, bean pie loving poet who channels her poems and blesses everything from the crack on the sidewalk to the traffic light.
Kamal B, a hip South Asian stand-up comic from Miami had the audience grinning about the diverse images that comes to mind when one mentions the word Indian. Kamal's humour was old school. The arranged marriage jokes were tasteful and the coming out story was hilarious when she informed her mother that she didn't like men only to have her no-nonsense mother inform her "Big news flash, as if any of us like men".
Multi-talented d'bi.young started her set by informing the audience that she had to look through her material to find something light enough to present to this laughter hungry crowd. Ironically, her reading of Me Cann Believe It, a tribute to pioneer Jamaican dub poet the late, Mickey Smith, was one of the most entertaining pieces of the evening, despite its serious political overtones.
The content of the show continued to escalade as Jemini presented her humorous relationship tales accompanied by an operatic moment for the performer and audience. Mimi Spears, a mid-drift bearing, red pony tail wearing, 200-pound version of Britney Spears' "sister" didn't hold back with the gyrations and flirtatious glances which are Britney's trademarks. While lip-synching to Spears' first big hit, Mimi and her four Freshets were a pleasant spoof of the pop star, but could use a little more development.
Last year's show including a Mr. Caribbean contest, this year the Bachelorette dating game provided four gay women with an opportunity to hook-up. Verma Margarite's grandmother sketch gave a humorous realistic taste of the denial that transpires when gay youth come out to their "dear granny".
Imami Anne Marie Woods returned with a calypso which spoke volumes about the cut eyes and up and down once-overs that sisters give one another on a daily basis. The last installment, Martha Chaves, veteran stand-up comic who made jokes about growing up in war torn Nicaragua and referred to the fact that grandparents told tall tales walking many miles to the real Coke they digested in the Coca Cola back in the day.
This writer predicts that next year Anthony and company will be adding more nights or looking for a bigger venue to accommodate their loyal followers who are the "it" girls and guys of Toronto's diverse communities throughout the GTA.