David Heron’s Green Card Play Returns

NEW YORK –  Would You Marry For A Inexperienced Card?

That is an fascinating query in David Heron’s romantic comedy, Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis. The play, which is from Jamaica, returns to the New York stage this June. It celebrates its twenty fifth Anniversary.

Broadway World Award winner Heron will produce and direct the one evening solely Silver Anniversary Efficiency, to be offered as a staged studying manufacturing on the Jamaica Performing Arts Middle (JPAC) on Sunday June 22 at 7pm. It will likely be an unique cultural occasion in celebration of New York Metropolis’s annual Caribbean American Heritage Month festivities, held throughout the town every June.

A complimentary Caribbean Delicacies Reception from 5:30pm will precede the efficiency.

Heron received the coveted 2023 Broadway World Award for Finest Supporting Performer for his position as Caliban within the acclaimed Colonial Theatre of Rhode Island Shakespeare within the Park manufacturing of The Tempest.

Reviving Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis

Explaining his choice to revive the favored manufacturing, Heron says “Over twenty 5 years after its world premiere in Jamaica, Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis stays as topical as ever, dealing because it does with the immensely crucial and sophisticated topic of immigration.

In a practical and humane means, it highlights the attract of the American dream to immigrants in all places, and the extent to which individuals will go to realize it- with romantic, dramatic and comedic penalties.

After our nice success with final 12 months’s American premiere of Alwin Bully’s political drama McBee as our inaugural Caribbean American Heritage Month manufacturing, deciding on Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis as our encore was a pure transfer to make, particularly with every little thing taking place in our present surroundings relating to immigration.

The play has by no means been extra related, it appears, than now.”

Set in Manhattan within the late Nineties, Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis tells the story of two Jamaican {couples}. They marry only for inexperienced playing cards. Nevertheless, they quickly discover out that love can change every little thing. As soon as Cupid’s arrow strikes, no marriage is nearly enterprise.

Heron thinks that the play in 2025 will convey again robust emotions of nostalgia. It’s going to additionally elevate issues in regards to the nation’s altering immigration insurance policies.

“The play’s American premiere befell simply over a 12 months earlier than 9/11. America was a lot extra harmless then. The Twin Towers nonetheless stood. Travelling was comparatively stress free. There was no ICE or Division Of Homeland Safety. There was the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). A lot was so totally different from now. However the one factor that has not modified is that the best and easiest approach to purchase US residency and citizenship is to marry an American citizen.

I’ve just lately spoken with immigration attorneys in addition to people looking for to remain right here completely, and this totally stays the consensus. And  whereas as of now the US authorities can do many issues, the one factor it can not do is let you know who to fall in love with and who to marry.

So till somebody comes up with a magic system to find out which marriages are completely ‘real’ and which of them are for inexperienced card purposes- as a result of in lots of situations, some unions are a mix of both- they won’t be able to cease them.”

World Premiere

“Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis” is Heron’s greatest worldwide success to date. It had its world premiere at The Little Little Theatre in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1999. The late Norman Rae directed the present. It starred Karen Harriott, Douglas Prout, Bertina Macaulay, and Heron as 4 “inexperienced card” lovers.

Many particular friends attended the present throughout its first run. These included Emmy Award winner Sheryl Lee Ralph and Paul Campbell, star of “Shottas” and “Dancehall Queen.”

The manufacturing had its American premiere with a South Florida tour in 2000. It then toured Europe, performing in the UK in 2002 and 2003. The present ultimately performed on the well-known Peggy Ashcroft Theatre in London.

It was produced at The Paul Robeson Theatre in New York earlier than arriving Off Broadway at Brooklyn’s Billie Vacation Theatre in 2005, directed by legendary theatre icon Woody King Jr.

King’s manufacturing would go on to change into an Official Choice of the 2007 Nationwide Black Theatre Pageant in Winston Salem, North Carolina- the most important black theatre competition on the planet. Kingston 6 Productions of Toronto then produced the Canadian premiere at The Harbourfront Centre, downtown Toronto, in 2008.

Amongst different accolades, Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis earned eight Worldwide Theatre Institute (Jamaica) Actor Boy Award nominations-the equal of Broadway’s Tony Award – in addition to three AUDELCO Award nominations for Excellence in Off Broadway Black Theatre in New York. It additionally earned Heron the Metropolis Council of New York’s Proclamation and Award for Excellence in 2006.

Casting for Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis

Heron says that, like final 12 months’s McBee premiere, a proficient solid is being put collectively for the present. This solid contains actors from stage, movie, and tv. The aim is to create a memorable expertise for the viewers in Jamaica Queens. The casting particulars shall be introduced quickly.

Tickets for the Silver Anniversary Efficiency of Love and Marriage and New York Metropolis go on sale on Sunday April 20. A restricted variety of tickets shall be made accessible at early buy low cost costs.

Heron has confirmed that faculty and highschool college students aged 16 and older can attend the manufacturing without cost. This additionally contains theatre interns from the New York Tri-State space. The free tickets come from donations. These donations are made by occasion supporters. They’re a part of the Certain Factor Productions Free Pupil Ticket Initiative.

The Jamaica Performing Arts Middle is situated at 153-10 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica New York, 11432.