News Americas, New York, NY, September 13, 2024: Jamaican actress Miranda Melhado has joined the cast of Not for Evethe award-winning play by Karl O’Brian Williams, which will be presented as a staged reading by the Atlantic Theater Company.
Part of the annual Caribbean Theater MixFest, the event runs September 14-20 at The Atlantic Stage 2 Theater in New York City. Not for Eve will be shown on Wednesday, September 18, at 7:00 p.m., for one night only.
Melhado will perform alongside a three-woman cast that includes Jamaican actress Heather Alicia Simms, known for her role on Broadway’s Purlie Victoriousand Amazon Prime’s Mitzi Pratt nanny. The production will be directed by Patrice Johnson Chevannes, an acclaimed Jamaican-born director, actress and director whose credits include Broadway’s Crucible and the DC Shakespeare Theater Othello.
Miranda Melhado in ‘From the Yard – Series.‘ (Photo courtesy of Cupcake Rapture Studios.)
Set in present-day Jamaica, Not for Eve follows three generations of women in the Shields family: Mama Agatha Rochester (played by Pratt), her daughter Katherine (Simms) and granddaughter Kimberly (Melhado). While they share a home, their lives remain disconnected. The anniversary of Catherine’s husband’s death sparks a series of events that force the women to confront deep emotional truths about their relationships, ultimately challenging the bonds that hold them together.
It originally premiered in Kingston, Jamaica in 2006, Not for Eve won the 2007 International Theater Institute (Jamaica) Actor Boy Award for Best New Jamaican Play. The play made its debut in New York City in 2012 and later appeared at the 2013 National Black Theater Festival in North Carolina.
For Melhado, the role of Kimberly Shields is another important milestone in her growing career. She was last seen on the New York stage in the American premiere of Alwin Bully’s McBeeand also appears in the horror film Amityville Vampirecurrently streaming on Amazon Prime. Her other credits include the upcoming TV pilot From the Yardwhich will premiere at the Nollywood Film Festival in Toronto this month, and David Heron Against His will in Apollo.
“I am thrilled to be part of such an incredible cast of Jamaican actors and to be working with the talented Patrice Johnson Chevannes,” says Melhado. “Karl has created three strong, complex female characters who are financially stable but emotionally tested. I look forward to bringing Kimberly to life and providing audiences with an unforgettable experience on September 18.”
Although born to Syrian and Portuguese parents, Melhado grew up in Jamaica and holds a BA in acting from the University of Southern California (USC). Exceptionally, Not for Eve it is only the second time she has portrayed a Jamaican character on stage, the first being on stage Against His will.
“People often assume I’m Brazilian, Italian, or even Greek, so I’m rarely classified as Jamaican,” she adds. “Playing Kimberly is a wonderful opportunity to connect with my roots and tell another rich Jamaican story.”
The Atlantic Theater Company, founded in 1985, has produced over 200 plays, including Tony Award-winning Broadway productions such as Spring Awakening AND Banda’s visit. The MixFest series, which celebrates diverse voices in theater, is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.
For tickets at Not for Evevisit AtlanticTheater.org.
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