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05.03.03 'Da Kink is Trey Anthony's dream come true
Canada Extra, Entertainment
Neil Armstrong
For playwright and comedienne, Trey Anthony, 'Da Kink In My Hair is a dream come true.
'I remember two years ago walking past The Princess of Wales and I said aloud, 'one of these days one of my plays is going to be here.' I just feel really blessed," says Anthony speaking to me at a Food Court across from the theatre.
Trey remembers when 'Da Kink opened at The Toronto Fringe Festival in 2001. Back then, the set was minimal and there was no choreography of dancing and singing. Now, the production unfolds with giant fabrics hanging from the ceiling of the prestigious theatre, symbolic of hair being intertwined, and drumming, and dancing, and singing. Anthony was actually fundraising to take the play to England when Mirvish Productions approached her to present the play. 'Da Kink In My Hair is the first Canadian production and the first production by a Black person presented at The Princess of Wales theatre.
The play is a series of monologues inspired by Anthony's life experience as well the experiences of her friends. It is set in a hair salon, along Eglinton Avenue West, that is the hub of gossip and personal confessions. Anthony plays Novelette, the owner of the salon who introduces us to the women and gives an insight into their lives.
"I wanted to find a place where these women would realistically meet and be themselves. And I thought where would they be able to confess these stories - their hairdresser. I wanted to write what I know and wanted people to come here and see themselves," says Anthony. She also negotiated with Mirvish Productions to have $20 tickets available for each performance so that the price would be affordable to many who would not be able to pay the otherwise higher ticket prices at The Princess of Wales Theatre.
In the monologues, the women talk about issues such as the stereotyping of Black women, the politics of hair, racism, homophobia, sexual abuse and definitions of confinement.
Trey chose the title of her play to show Black women that it is okay to work out the kinks in their lives and to accept themselves. A very moving scene in the play is when the women gather in a circle around one of their fellow sisters, affirming a sisterhood. They all rally around her saying, "I've been wearing black all my life" which is an acceptance of their lives and a recognition that despite their differences and challenges they preserve and support each other.
Trey who is of Jamaican parentage, was born in England and remembers holding family shows when she was four or five years old where she would perform and her grandmother would encourage her to charge a fee. It was from then that it was instilled in her to treat her craft as a business. She credits her grandmother with always supporting her however their relationship has been strained since Trey became a public figure a few years ago. Her decision to drop out of York University to start her company, Plaitform Entertainment, was a matter of concern for her mother who wants her to finish her studies. Now her mother and father are her strongest supporters. As we are wrapping up the interview so that Trey can meet her 6 p.m. check-in with the cast before the 8 p.m. show, I asked her if there are any plans to take the production across or outside of Canada. She replies: "I think I've been guilty of always trying to anticipate the next move for this play but I think the play has a life of its own. I'll enjoy this moment."