"Caribbean stories are often filled with magic and mysticism. Glenville Lovell immerses readers in all these elements in his debut novel, "Fires in the Canes". Lovell brings to life the sleepy West Indian village of Monkey Road, 50 years after the end of slavery. Peata, a sensual and fun-loving woman, arrives with her beautiful teenage daughter, Midra, which starts a chain of events that forever changes their lives and those of the villagers . . . Lovell spins an interesting story, one that will make you think about how one incident can change the future".--"USA Today".
The play is a story of love, acceptance and the need for connection and belonging. Though it focuses on issues of gender identity, the question of class is ever present. The central character is the transgender owner of the club/bar Simone's Place where she performs Nina Simone jazz standards as Lady Simone. Simone has become advisor/healer to many of the broken souls who drink and hang around the bar; at the same time she is most in need of love and healing herself. The central figure's paradox binds and balances the play as each character struggles with the dilemma of trying to be free in an... continue