PEFORMANCES | By Brian Bemmel

Ojai Says Hello to ‘Jamaica Farewell’

As the artistic director of Performances To Grow On, I get a lot of phone calls from artists wanting to perform. That’s just what happened a few months ago when Debra Ehrhardt called out of the blue inquiring about a spot in the upcoming Ojai Storytelling Festival. I told her we were full and that we book our talent a year in advance. The call ended with her saying she would send me promo material in case an opening should occur.

Click, end of call.

A few weeks later the phone rang again. It was Debra Ehrhardt.

“I’m in Ojai visiting a friend,” she says, “would you like to meet for coffee?”

There was something about her vibe that intrigued me; aside from that unmistakeable Jamaican accent

“Sure,” I replied

So we met and she was delightful; totally engaging. She shared stories and professional theater experiences. Our meeting ended with her offering me tickets to a show she was performing in Los Angeles.

Although I enjoyed meeting her in Ojai, I went to LA to view her show without any expectations. I’m very picky when it comes to choosing talent for Performances To Grow On.

The show was fantastic and Debra gave a riveting and a very emotional performance. I knew then that I wanted to present her and Debra and I began planning a performance date in Ojai.

And that’s the back story on how “Jamaica Farewell” ended up in our town.

So if you want to experience an actress at the top of her game in a masterful performance full of humor, drama, and courage — don’t miss Jamaica Farewell, directed by Joel Zwick of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It’s a true story of a woman’s journey from a turbulent Jamaica to the country of her dreams. With all the immigration issues facing America today, this is a play relevant and timely. Tickets at www.ptgo.org.

One night only, Saturday, Aug. 18th @ Ojai Art Center at 7:30.