Jean and Dinah: Who Have Been Locked Away in a World Famous Calypso Since 1956 Speak Their Minds Publicly

By Tony Hall, Rhoma Spencer, Susan Sandford

The play is a tragi-comedy set in present-day Port-of Spain, Trinidad, in Act One, then in Act two, the characters take us some 40 years back to their theatre of the streets of Port of Spain. It is Jouvay morning, the dawn of Carnival Monday and Jean comes to take her friend, Dinah, to play mas (masquerade) in the city as they have done for the past forty years. This year, however, Dinah is tired and ailing and does not want to go. Jean tries desperately to rally her into making their annual pilgrimage through the streets where they play sailor mas on Carnival Tuesday. In the ensuing battle to get Dinah out of bed onto the streets of Port of Spain, both women discover things about themselves that shaped their lives. This play gives the women in Sparrow’s calypso a voice. Their stories take us on an emotional roller coaster of laughter, pain and sorrow.

About Playwright(s)

Self-identity

Country of publication

Cast Information

Cultural background of characters

Total number of characters

Minimum number of actors

Female roles

Male roles

Transgender roles

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Non-Binary Gender Non-Conforming roles

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Gender unespecified roles

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Age of characters

Actor-Friendly Parts

Monologue level

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Monologue details

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Scene level

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Scene details

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Production and Publication

First produced

1994, Lordstreet Theatre Company, Trinidad and Tobago

Publication year

2002

Published by

AuthorHouse

ISBN

9780759687974

included in Testifyin' Volume II, edited by Djanet Sears

included in Testifyin' Volume II, edited by Djanet Sears

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