Dominique Le Gendre and Caitlyn Kamminga’s Jab Molassie is a Trinidadian adaptation of L’Histoire du Soldat set in Port of Spain.
Jab Molassie is one of the oldest Devil characters in Trinidadian carnival culture. Many bystanders are willing to “Pay the Devil” to avoid contact with him, yet our main character, Starboy, finds himself in such a pact and never frees himself from the Devil’s clutch. Starboy fell weak to the promise of fortune and lost everything that mattered to him. He was torn between his love of worldly things, money, and the woman he loved. In the end, he was left to battle his demons while we were left to judge him.
The music was a fusion of jazz and a calypso band, joined by other unique Trinidadian sounds. The pan, brass, and strings set the scene with the signature sound of Trinidad. The liberal use of the pan throughout the production, married with the many syncopated motifs that bounced between the different timbres, and the use of patois and creole left no room to question where the play took place.
The music made me feel happiness, suspense, pain, resolve, excitement, and more. Starboy’s return home is especially memorable because of the dissonant pan part and the accelerating music, which conveyed the scene perfectly. One can imagine the accelerating heart of a man who just realized he’d lost everything.
I can relate to the play’s plot – there is always a battle raging within. The heart wants what it wants, we want to be the best musicians, and most of us have dreams of enjoying the fruits of our labor and living lavishly.
The actors’ superb performances, effective use of light and stage props, and enthralling orchestration made this play unique and entertaining.