'Vibes' remount welcome

Hasani Walters, Gleaner Writer

Patrick Brown's Vibes is a brilliant, comedic, drama-filled clash of contrasting personalities all on one stage.

An excellent cast of actors, Steve Early (Glen Campbell), Valerie Early (Noelle Kerr), Dimples (Camille Davis) and Chris (Courtney Wilson), are assembled by Brown in the play which was revived at Centerstage in New Kingston two weeks ago.

The play tells the story of the Early family and their helper, Dimples, with humorous injections from the gardener, Chris.

Valerie Early is a lawyer who puts her career before all, even the proper care of her husband, Steve. She cannot cook a simple meal and as a result, they are left with no option but to hire a helper.

After much debate between the Earlys, Dimples is hired. Her domestic skills gets her 'noticed' by Steve and he finds himself in an awkward situation as he begins to 'feel a vibe' for Dimples. Her feelings for him eventually grow as well.

Valerie becomes suspicious of an affair between the two, but does not act on those suspicions until she notices her husband is particularly comfortable around Dimples.

She notices changes that take place with him and she questions what happens when she leaves for work during the days.

Framing Dimples

Chris accidentally walks in on a 'moment' between Dimples and Mr Early and throughout the play, he tries to stop Dimples from 'mashing up' the Earlys' marriage. Eventually, he goes to extreme measures to do so by trying to frame Dimples.

He takes one of Valerie's necklaces in hope that Dimples will be accused and fired for stealing it.

Dimples gains sympathy from the audience when she stands up for herself and talks of them misjudging her for a common thief.

Although she is judged as a poor, low life, no-good helper by some, Dimples brings to the forefront one of the most important issues to be brought out by the play, the social stratification of society.

"Look at us ... one race. Equal in God's eyes, but not in yours, right?" she asked Mrs Early.

The idea that there are these classes people get assigned to and how these classes are supposed to interact with each other is also brought into question in the play.

As Dimples speaks of the difference between her life and Mr Early's, she says: "Me is a bird. You is a fish. Which part wi would build wi nest?"

Dimples, of course, is pointing to the difficulty that lies in crossing the divide between the classes.

The musical arrangement is excellent and all the selections are on par with the mood being portrayed by the actors.

At the beginning of the play, opera music is heard, showing the upper-class lifestyle of the Earlys, Tanya Stephens' It's A Pity is used to show the dilemma that Steve and Dimples have found themselves in and Richie Spice's Ghetto Girl further explains Dimples' character and her 'lower-class' upbringings.

Vibes mirrors the class boundaries that sadly have always been a part of society. Fortunately, the play also serves as a reminder to us that despite the differences in lifestyle and self-expression, we are all, in many ways, the same.