The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

CAST and crew of the upcoming stage play, “Flight 242 and the Ten Commandments” are busy preparing for the night when they officially pull back the curtains on their this May.

Dario ‘Erics’ Poitier, Bahamian director and writer, said this play will capture the audience’s attention from the second it begins.

“We promise you that you will laugh from start to finish, but you will also leave examining yourself by applying simple principles that will make you a better person. We will hit the nail on the head, exposing how many Bahamians don’t abide by the laws of their own land but quickly align themselves when crossing international boarders,” said Mr Pinder.

“You will see how many have strayed away from not just constitutional laws but biblical laws as well. We will keep you on the edge of your seat. ‘Flight 242 and the Ten Commandments’ is a must-see.”

The play, the writer said, is about “typical Bahamians”, who go abroad and overspend, “who put their pockets first and forget their obligations back home.”

To date, Mr Poitier said the behind-the-scenes preparations for the show are on target, as the cast and crew have been putting their all into it.

He said there is no greater feeling for a writer than when the cast know their lines and embody the characters.

“I recently tweeted, ‘I respect anyone who shoots films and/or produces stage plays; people see the end product but they never see the behind the scenes work that leads up to the event.’ Believe me when I say, putting on a show of this magnitude is not easy but you learn something new each time,” said Mr Poitier.

He said the experience has trained him to become a manager of his own brand, but he said he could not have done it without his entire team.

Mr Poitier thanked each and every one of them for being apart of his vision.

The cast of the play includes: Lia Brown, Treyien Brown, Santosh R P Butler, Marcus Cooper, Rakel Dean, Nikolette Elden, Cravon Ellis, Dianna Eugene, Nicole Gaitor, Darren Goodman, Cedric Hall, Osbourne Lockhart, Telethia Mackey, Tony McCartney, Jenera Munroe, Fylden Russell, Timiko Sawyer, Christine Wilson and Chamia Winder.

“A great thank you to our sponsor ‘KBLR Establishments’ for believing in me and my team. Mr Rodgers and his staff has helped to make the experience of my dream a reality. There are others who have also aided in this venture but at this time wish to remain anonymous,” said Mr Poitier.

Before he produced his first, large-scale stage play entitled “A Wedding in Nassau” in 2013, Mr Poitier said he had already laid the groundwork for “Flight 242”.

“What is so amazing this time around is the fact that it’s not even May’s premiere as yet and here I am brainstorming about my third stage play,” said Mr Poitier, speaking about his drive and love for writing and producing.

Working in the financial field during weekdays, as a writer at night and on some weekends flying as a certified pilot, Mr Poitier’s schedule is a busy one; he is often referred to by friends, as a “triple threat.”

All of the fields are very different, he said, but they have all shaped him into the person he is today.

“I came from very humble beginnings. I was born in the picturesque islands of the Berry Islands. This is where I spent most of my childhood days. My family and I migrated to Nassau to further my education. I have about 11 years experience in the financial sector, about seven active years of flying, both part time and full time, and I have been writing since childhood,” said Mr Poitier.

He said it is crazy that many people set out to do one thing in life, but they end up doing the complete opposite. Banking is something he never planned to do. He said it just happened and he became good at it.

“My mind was always in the sky and still is today. It’s a part of my DNA. As for writing, I always knew I had a special gift of telling and selling a story, but I hid it for most of my life. What can I say? The secret is now out. In each one of them I get to interact with people on a different level – financially, physically and emotionally; it’s like being well rounded. They are all well-respected professions. In a time like this, it’s always good to have options to fall back on,” said Mr Poitier.

‘Flight 242 and The Ten Commandments’ will be premiere on May 2 and 3 at a venue to be announced. Tickets go on sale on March 17.

For more updates, connect with “Flight 242 and the Ten Commandments” via their Facebook page, DEP Productions.