The cast of the Blacktip Island Community Players’ practices the final scene for their summer musical production, ‘Gossipspell,’ inspired by the popular musical ‘Godspell.” (photo courtesy of Uark Theatre)
The Blacktip Island Community Players this week announced their annual summer musical, an original production titled ‘Gossipspell,’ inspired by the popular religious stage play ‘Godspell,” will debut at the small Caribbean island’s Heritage House Sunday morning.
“We wanted to do something that really spoke to what it’s like to be alive in this place and this time,” BICP creative director Doris Blenny said. “With the way folks on Blacktip treat every silly rumor as Gospel truth, well, the religious parallel was obvious and we decided to make a statement with that.
“Gossiping and rumor-mongering are the most inspirational activities here, and every aspect of life on Blacktip revolves around that,” Blenny said. “It stars Lee Helm who, as in in real life, is the main source of rumors. Much of the musical will focus on how he brings the island together by teaching them how best to spread innuendo.”
Helm relishes the role.
“On this little rock, gossip really is more popular than God. Or Jesus. Or the Beatles,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like acting. It’s more like a typical night at the Tail Spinner bar. Art imitates life, I suppose. This is a small island, with a small population and not much to do. Spreading gossip’s a way to pass the time, to bring us all together in something bigger than ourselves.
“Here, it’s better to be a liar and shit-stirrer than to be boring,” Helm said. “If you don’t have an interesting rumor, please make up something fun, for the sake of the community. Otherwise, we’ll all sit around talking about the weather.”
The cast includes:
- Lee Helm as Joshua
- Catalina Luxfer as Jean le Baptiste
- Hugh Calloway as Elmo
- Jessie Catahoula as Baozhai
- Gage Hoase as Enrico
- Val Schrader as Fatima
“So far, rehearsals have been a blast,” Schrader said. “Finn did a great job with the songs. It’s also great at the end of each rehearsal when we get to throw coconuts at Lee to simulate stoning him to death. You can’t beat a good coconutting, and Lee has it coming.”
The play’s semi-original score, adapted by Club Scuba Doo dive ops manager Finn, Kiick, includes:
- “Well, I Heard”
- “Dude, That’s Messed Up”
- “People Are Saying”
- “I Need to Get This Off My Chest”
- “Get Out! Shut Up!”
- “What’s the Dirt?”
- “Time For a Chin Wag”
Kiick said the lyrics have real-life inspiration.
“I just sat in the Last Ballyhoo a few nights and took notes,” he said. “My favorite is still ‘You Didn’t Hear It From Me,” when all the actors are sitting in a pool of water, drinking beer and dishing dirt on everyone who’s not there.”
The musical will be performed at 10 a.m. Sunday. Tickets may be purchased in advance at all local bars. Proceeds go to the Blacktip Island Stage Actors’ Guild. A follow-up play, rumored for the fall theater season, will allegedly be titled, ‘Mind Your Own Damn Business.’
The Blacktip Times 