Actor Stede “Jookie Jam” Flash is one of the stalwarts of what Jamaicans refer to as roots theater. He marks his 35th anniversary in the genre in The Real Wife, a two-actor play that also stars Andrea “Delcita” Wright. It takes place June 30 at Mary Louis Academy in Queens, New York.
Jookie Jam has been a fixture in Jamaican arts since 1989 when he appeared in Maama Man, a raunchy comedy that helped define roots plays, a dancehall form of theater that flourished during the 1980s and 1990s. “The high points of my career are traveling to different countries to perform, sometimes going to schools to do lectures with kids about acting,” said Jookie Jam, who lives in New York.
He will be honored for his 35 years in theater on June 20, during The Real Wife. Wright, best known for playing the rustic Delcita, will also be recognized for 30 years as an actress.
Jookie Jam and Wright are proteges of Ralph Holness, a charismatic producer considered the father of roots theater. The mastermind behind Maama Man, he died in 2013.
The Real Wife is the latest play featuring the actors. Jookie Jam and Wright previously worked together in Money Worries, The Plumber and The Driva.
