by Howard Campbell
LAUDERHILL – Power Game II — A Reggae Musical: Believe, a gender-driven production written by Jamaican Ettosi Brooks, shows September 10 at Lauderhill Performing Arts Center.
It is the sequel to Power Game — A Reggae Musical, which had one show in 2020 at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale.
Both are produced by Women in Music Ayo Corp., a non-profit organization for which Brooks is executive director. ‘Power Game II’ is part sponsored by the Broward Cultural Division National Endowment For The Arts.
It took Brooks six months to write the follow-up which sees Shemana Dixon returning in the lead role as Constance, who has migrated to South Florida from Jamaica.
“The musical’s primary focus is on the problems experienced by women in the music industry and how women’s creative drive is negatively impacted in both personal and business relationships. This tracks the emotional growth of the main character and explores issues such as domestic violence, psychological issues around the immigrant experience and exploitation which were not factors in Power Game I,” Brooks explained.
Dixon is one of four actors who were in Power Game I. The others are Corlene Fraser, her father Pablove Black and Jessica Joseph.
Black is a veteran keyboardist best known for his session work at Studio One and tours with Jimmy Cliff.
Malachi Smith, a poet and mainstay of the South Florida arts scene, is the musical’s director.
A longtime resident of South Florida, Ettosi Brooks is originally from Kingston. She is the younger sister of Cedric Im Brooks, an influential saxophonist who played with bands such as The Skatalites and Light of Saba.
It was with Cedric Brooks’ ensembles that she developed an appreciation for diverse cultures and community service. Fittingly, her latest production takes place in Lauderhill, a city popularly known as ‘Jamaica Hill’, because of its massive Jamaican populace.
“The story reflects the immigrant experience in South Florida and we believe it will touch a chord with Jamaicans and even become cathartic. It is also a way for Women in Music Ayo to bring awareness to its mission to provide opportunities for women to engage in creative expression regardless of age or the level in their career,” said Brooks.
