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Cacique-award winning playwright Eric Barry was in fine form at the second edition of the concert series Cool Nights with Gillian Moor on June 3. Barry had the audience in stitches as he performed at the Kaiso Blues Cafe on Woodford Street.

Originally published in the T&T Guardian on July 17, 2016

His first performance was an excerpt from his upcoming play, “The Five Foolish Friends in Shhh… It is Art,” a continuation of his award-winning play series. While sitting on stage silently, a pre-recorded voice-over described the thoughts someone would have while watching his performance, wondering why he was shirtless, and why everybody was just watching him. It went on to watch and label the people in the crowd, including the Black Widow, who was on her fourth husband, the “Free Ticket” lady and the man wearing the same clothes from last night’s fete, among others. The most hilarious part of the piece was when Barry stepped off the stage and you realized he was the commentator.
Next, Barry performed “Street Vendor,” a riveting impression of a vendor selling food on the street during Carnival. Dressed as a woman in a wig and an apron, s/he took the opportunity to provide a social commentary on Carnival, while chastising a woman who ends up peeing next to her stall. The skit ends with her trying to bribe a policeman she called to deal with the woman, after he asks for her nonexistent food badge.
“I Want to Wine” was another Carnival-themed piece from the point of view of a policeman who has to work on Carnival Tuesday instead of jumping in his chosen band. After holding out as long as he could, he finally yields to temptation when his woman and a posse of her friends wine on him. “Mih pants split, ah dong on de groung, ah wining!” The next morning, he’s on the front page of the paper and being chastised by his bosses, but he’s happy because “I get to wine!”
Finally, in “Christmas Wine,” Barry juxtaposed Christmas carols and soca music to note how Carnival comes earlier and earlier every year, eclipsing and corrupting traditional Christmas celebrations. “We making it a disgrace on the Big Man Birthday.”
All four pieces were well received by the crowd present, who joined in to laugh, cheer, jeer and sing in turn.
Before and after Barry’s performance, the hostess of the show, Gillian Moor entertained the audience in song. Her soulful voice gave new life to “Pyramid Song” by Radiohead. She went on to sing songs of her own composition, including “Time We Go,” “Here For You,” which spoke of love and longing. For “Big Snake” and “Everything’s Alright,” Moor was joined onstage by John Ottway, who accompanied her guitar playing with an oil drum. Moor also performed “Everything’s Alright,” “Blue Red Woman,” “Hold On Tight,” “Dance Until You Fly” and “Let Love Be Free.”
The next episode of Cool Nights with Gillian Moor will take place on July 22. For more information, call 750-4655.