A Shelter In Our Car
Last night I had an opportunity to watch a staged reading of an exciting new musical, "A Shelter In Our Car." A staged reading has the actors on stage speaking the dialogue and singing the songs, but with no costumes or sets or much movement. This was performed in the basement of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 65th St. and Central Park West in New York City. The book and lyrics were written by Sophie Jaff, and the wonderful music for Jaff's lyrics was written by Robert L. Wilson III. Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, of Indian-Bahamian descent, is the director. Tony Perry, an old friend of mine from The Patriot-News, is one of the seven actors.
The play, which is billed as being for children but which will likewise be enjoyed by adults, is about an immigrant Jamaican woman and her daughter who have sunk into homelessness in New York City after her husband and chief breadwinner died. She is a trained nurse, but cannot work in her profession here without a New York nursing license, which she is working hard to obtain. In the meantime, she and her daughter, Zettie, live in their car. Mom makes a few dollars now and then handing out fliers.
Both homelessness and the current Republican campaign against immigrants are addressed in this musical, but it is a human story at heart. That is often the best way to address issues in art, by showing the impact and not preaching.
The play is based on a children's boook by Monica Gunning of the same name, and is being produced under the auspices of the Making Books Sing program in New York. It will be performed in New York schools beginning in January, but I have to think with songs this good it will have a life beyond that. I would even like to see it expanded a little bit beyond the short attention span of grade schoolers.