This past weekend was the closing performance of “Don Juan: Pride and Paradise” presented by Maroon Isle Productions at Main Street Players. Adapted from the translated Molière play “Don Juan”, playwright/director/actor Sefanja R. Galon has taken the original 1665 comedy about a misogynist navigating his way through the ups and downs of multiple romantic situations and sets it in the Caribbean in the 1950’s. In doing so, Galon gives way for a diverse cast to tell a classic story in their own unique voice.
Mikhael Mendoza in Maroon Isle Productions’ “Don Juan: Pride and Paradise”. (Photo courtesy of Elijah Pestana)
As a recent New World grad and an alumnus of the HOMEGROWN Residency at City Theatre, Galon has spent the last couple years self-producing, with Don Juan being his most recent project – and while it was an admirable endeavor, it leaves one asking if the play should spend some more time in the developmental realm before hitting the stage again. Adaptation at its core not only applies to the concept, but in the best cases it means rewriting while holding onto the story instead of taking the easy route of copy and pasting the text with updated wording. Molière plays tend to lean towards heavy exposition with long superfluous monologues and while that may work for the time – the question that should be asked every step of the way is, “Is this necessary?”.
While there is still room for growth as a playwright and director – some decisions in accents, staging, and plot sparking more confusion than confidence – Galon is an emerging artist to keep your eyes on. He is a new voice creating space for the underrepresented within the South Florida Theatre community with this last production being the perfect example. The cast and crew was packed with young artists from every background, the play had original music that although it could have held a more grounded space within the piece, it was still something outside of the norm.
Mikhael Mendoza and Janine Johnson in Maroon Isle Productions’ “Don Juan: Pride and Paradise”. (Photo courtesy of Elijah Pestana)
The Surinamese-American playwright is using his own cultural background to tell stories that most would never experience, and even with “Don Juan” closing, there is more for the future of Maroon Isle Productions, specifically an original play coming this fall, “Oskuneru”.
So keep your eyes peeled and help support companies like this so that South Florida can continue to grow as a theatrical hub.
Luis Roberto Herrera is a Colombian-American artist who uses his work to ask the questions of what it means to be alone, who are we within our relationships, and how does our culture effect who we become. Luis Roberto Herrera was a resident playwright in the 2017 GREENHOUSE Residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm, a Fellow at Athena Theatre in 2019, and most recently part of the cohort in the Latinx Playwrights Circle 2022 Mentorship Intensive. Along with being a playwright he is also a screenwriter and director having written 6 short films, one television pilot and directing two of them. Some of his works include several full length plays; Poolside Glow(Inkwell Theatre Playlab 2022), SAA[not that one](A-Tipico Play Festival 2021), At The End Of The Hall: A ghost story(Latinx Playwrights Circle 2022 Mentor Intensive), BLOOD ON THESE HANDS, Born Still, and Grandma’s Armchair. His film writing credits include; No Te Puedes Mover(short), Slow Dance(short), Wren & Lin(short), Sunny(short), Through The Crowd(short), and Thank you, places!(feature).
