IF YOU have not yet seen Teisha Duncan perform, you are missing something. The Gleaner caught up with the young actress on Tuesday after she rehearsed her role in Basil Dawkins' new play, God Bless.
From the moment we meet her, Duncan exudes a joie de vivre, evidently happy with her lot in life. She laughs easily, demonstrating loud infectious laughter. To top it off, she is funny.
Although she is has not yet graduated from The School of Drama at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts (she graduates in November), Duncan has already wet her feet in commercial theatre. Starting last February, she alternated with Dahlia Harris as Drizela Cruff and Adassa in the undisputably hilarious Cindy-Relisha and the DJ Prince.
The Patrick Brown comedy ended its long run last Sunday after more than 200 performances. Duncan looks back fondly at her time with the production, believing that it was an excellent way to get started in commercial theatre.
She is convinced of this, she says, for three reasons. First is the calibre of the audience and their reception of the comedy. Second is the cast, which included Glen Campbell, Chris Daley and Claudette Pious.
Although Cindy-Relisha has ended, Duncan has another production running. She is one of the lead characters in Mama I Want to Sing, the Jamaica Musical Theatre Company's summer production. Mama I Want To Sing, produced by Jenny Stephenson and Michael Daley and directed by Alwin Bully, is currently playing at The Phillip Sherlock Centre For the Creative Arts at the University of the West Indies, Mona, St. Andrew.
She has also performed in Bubbling Brown Sugar, Sarafina, One Love and The Clown's MacBeth.
She is enjoyed her sojourn at the Edna Manley School of Drama. "You know what the thing is?" she says, "It was a good experience. It's a lot of taking." According to Duncan, her time at the school has allowed her to resolve not to accept failure.
Interestingly, she admits to not dreaming of the future. "To tell you the truth, you know, I just dream one day at a time. I like to be surprised."
Although that is her current philosophy, she says she had big dreams in the past. "I dreamt to teach," she says with a laugh, "that dream has been shattered, so that's one dream down."
Duncan reveals that she taught at Jamaica College for three months, and the job proved to her that teaching, at least at the high school level, was not meant to be. According to Duncan, it was life-threatening, for herself and the students.
Another dream was also recently destroyed. Duncan points out that she had always wanted to do a tap dance sequence with the late Gregory Hines. She even went as far as to work out some of the choreography and create a name, which is, unbelievably, 'From the Tap'. The dance with Hines would have dubbed her the 'taptress'. Laughing at the name and the concept, she regrets the loss of Hines.
The surprise theory seems to be working, however, since dreams she never had are coming true. "Thursday, 14 August, I will never forget that day," she says with a smile. "I performed for Louise Bennett."
Those who have seen her performances will probably marvel that she is only 19 years old, since her characters are usually much older, and she seems incredibly mature.
So, too, are her hopes for her art. Duncan reveals that what she hopes to do is create a repertoire of work that can live beyond her time here on earth. Noting that she wants to 'wow' herself, she says, "I want to do the kind of work where I can look back and say, 'Teisha, that was great!' and tap myself on the shoulder."
By this time, the interview is winding to a close and the question of why she is so happy (though not frighteningly bubbly) must be asked. "I'm happy," she says, "because at the end of the day, I know I'll be okay. At the end of the day, mi a God pickney."
