Jamaican Actress Joins Atlantic Theater Company’s Staged Reading Of ‘Not About Eve’

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News Americas, New York, NY, September 13, 2024: Jamaican actress Miranda Melhado has joined the cast of Not About Eve, the award-winning drama by Karl O’Brian Williams, which will be presented as a staged reading by the Atlantic Theater Company.

Jamaican actress Miranda Melhado at the London Premiere of Thor- Love and Thunder. (Contributed image)

Part of the theater’s annual Caribbean MixFest, the event runs from September 14th to 20th at The Atlantic Stage 2 Theater in New York City. Not About Eve will be performed on Wednesday, September 18th, at 7 p.m., as a one-night-only event.

Melhado will perform alongside an all-female cast of three, which includes Jamaican actors Heather Alicia Simms, known for her role in Broadway’s Purlie Victorious, and Mitzi Pratt from Amazon Prime’s Nanny. The production will be directed by Patrice Johnson Chevannes, a celebrated Jamaican-born filmmaker, actress, and director, whose credits include Broadway’s The Crucible and Shakespeare Theater of DC’s Othello.

Miranda Melhado in ‘From Yard -The Series.‘ (Photo courtesy of Cupcake Rapture Studios.)

Set in modern-day Jamaica, Not About Eve follows three generations of women in the Shields family: Mama Agatha Rochester (played by Pratt), her daughter Katherine (Simms), and granddaughter Kimberly (Melhado). While they share a home, their lives remain disconnected. The anniversary of Katherine’s husband’s death sparks a series of events that forces the women to confront deep emotional truths about their relationships, ultimately challenging the bonds that hold them together.

Originally premiering in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2006, Not About Eve won the 2007 International Theatre Institute (Jamaica) Actor Boy Award for Best New Jamaican Play. The drama made its New York City debut in 2012 and was later featured at the 2013 National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina.

For Melhado, the role of Kimberly Shields is another significant milestone in her growing career. She was last seen on the New York stage in the American premiere of Alwin Bully’s McBee, and also appears in the horror film Amityville Vampire, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Her other credits include the upcoming TV pilot From Yard, which will premiere at the Nollywood Film Festival in Toronto this month, and David Heron’s Against His Will at The Apollo.

“I’m thrilled to be part of such an incredible cast of Jamaican actors and to work with the talented Patrice Johnson Chevannes,” says Melhado. “Karl has crafted three strong, complex female characters who are financially stable but emotionally tested. I look forward to bringing Kimberly to life and offering audiences a memorable experience on September 18.”

Though born to Syrian and Portuguese parents, Melhado grew up in Jamaica and holds a BA in acting from the University of Southern California (USC). Remarkably, Not About Eve is only the second time she has portrayed a Jamaican character on stage, the first being in Against His Will.

“People often assume I’m Brazilian, Italian, or even Greek, so I rarely get cast as Jamaican,” she adds. “Playing Kimberly is a wonderful opportunity to connect with my roots and tell another rich Jamaican story.”

The Atlantic Theater Company, founded in 1985, has produced over 200 plays, including Tony Award-winning Broadway productions like Spring Awakening and The Band’s Visit. The MixFest series, which celebrates diverse voices in theater, is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.

For tickets to Not About Eve, visit AtlanticTheater.org.

Guyanese Singer Eddy Grant Wins Copyright Case Against Donald Trump

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News Americas, New York, NY, Sept. 13, 2024: Guyanese-British singer Eddy Grant has won a copyright infringement lawsuit against former U.S. President Donald Trump, after a federal judge ruled that Trump’s 2020 campaign unlawfully used Grant’s hit song “Electric Avenue” in a campaign video without permission.

Eddy Grant attends the unveiling of The Music Walk Of Fame 2023 at Camden on September 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

The case was filed by Grant in 2020 when Trump’s team used the 1982 chart-topping song in a video shared on social media attacking then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. Grant expressed dismay at the unauthorized use of his music, which led to the lawsuit.

Trump’s legal team had argued that their use of the song fell under the fair use doctrine, which allows limited re-use of copyrighted material under certain circumstances. However, Judge John G. Koeltl firmly rejected this argument, stating that the campaign video did not modify the song’s lyrics, vocals, or instrumentals, and offered no justification for its extensive use.

In his ruling, Judge Koeltl said, “The video has a very low degree of transformativeness, if any at all,” describing it as “wholesale copying of music to accompany a political campaign ad.”

Following the ruling, Grant’s attorney, Brian D. Caplan, said that his client was “gratified” by the decision, noting that it underscores the importance of protecting artists’ rights. “Politicians are not above the law, and the court reaffirmed that,” Caplan said.

While the court ruled that Trump and his campaign were legally liable for copyright infringement, the amount of damages Trump will have to pay Grant is yet to be determined in future proceedings.

Trump has faced similar complaints from other artists during his political campaigns. Notable acts such as Beyoncé, Celine Dion, and ABBA, as well as the estates of Sinead O’Connor and Isaac Hayes, have voiced opposition to the unauthorized use of their music.