IDENTITY
Identity premiered at the Tristan Bates Theatre in London on 29 June 2009. It was directed by Angela Michaels with the following cast: Ellen Thomas (Maureen Johnson), Jeffery Kissoon (Cuthbert Johnson), Anthony Taylor (Omar Johnson), Marva Alexander (Marcia Johnson), Vinta Morgan (Michael Johnson), Trevor Thomas (Vince), Geoff Aymer (Sid) and Trevor Laird (Scully).
The play focuses on the Grenadian revolution which took place in 1979. Paul Anthony Morris tells the story of a family whose lives were directly affected by the political and social change in Grenada. The Johnsons fled from Grenada to escape from the backlash of a spreading accusation that a member of their family was responsible for the capture of Maurice Bishop, leader of the People’s revolution government, who later died in captivity. Desperate to leave the painful past behind them and start a new life in London, the married couple and two older siblings make a pact not to tell youngest son Michael. But when the husband of the family and former veteran of the People’s Revolution Government (PRG) is recognised by another Grenadian in London, the truth is exposed.
Identity is a heart-breaking family drama about how secrets and lies, even when carried out with the best intentions, have the ability to destroy, alienate and hurt the ones we love the most.
About the Playwright
British-born actor, playwright and director Paul Anthony Morris trained at the Barbara Speake School, with the primary goal of pursuing a professional acting career. In 2005 he founded Crying in the Wilderness Productions and thus became the Artistic Director of the company. He wrote his first play, The Seer, in 2006; it was produced as a documentary film with the support of the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Crying in the Wilderness produced his second play, 35 Cents, which he directed at Blue Elephant Theatre in London in 2007. In 2008 Paul Anthony Morris became the first playwright to receive the OffWestEnd.com Adopt a Playwright Award for his play Identity. He continues to write and direct plays written by other playwrights across the UK. In addition, he coordinates Creative and Educational Programs delivering workshops to education and arts establishments, namely West London College, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, King’s College University, Nottingham Playhouse, to name but a few.
Other published plays by Paul Anthony Morris include 35 Cents.
Summary (Extract)
The day of the memorial of Maurice Bishop, MAURN, a fifty-year-old mother and former top markswoman for the PRG, and her daughter Marcia reminisce about life in Grenada as they set the table for the memorial dinner.
There was no chance of that. I made sure we bumped into each other as often as possible just to ensure that I stayed on his mind. The second time he asked me your grandmother told him that if he was really serious about marrying her daughter he should come back and ask me in a year’s time – and sure enough one year later to the day he returned with an engagement ring and showed it to your grandmother.
…
I wanted to say yes right away but your grandmother told me to pretend that I had forgotten about it.
…
She was a very proud woman your grandmother. My friends were so jealous. Every man that had proposed to them had married another woman within weeks of their rejection and here was I being pursued for well over a year. Vince said your father was hopping mad.
…
Six weeks after your grandmother died we tied the knot. If it was left to her she would have burnt my virginity in a nunnery.
…
It turned out to be the biggest country wedding of the year. Your father would often say that anything good that came into his life came as a result of our marriage and he was right for a while. When we joined the struggle he said you and Omar were the flowers of the revolution – the symbols of the new hope that would sweep across the Island and capture the imagination of the entire region. But like Omar said ‘the writing was on the wall’ and Reagan had other ideas.