WOW! Last night we performed our one-night only free showing of Diss to a packed house and extremely enthusiastic audience! The outpour of positive feedback and support for the show proves that audiences are hungry for stories of real people and real lives. Diss tackles peer pressure, youth gangs and gun violence in an honest and compelling way, and our audiences are really relating to its message. We cannot wait to continue the tour!
As promised, here is part 2 of our actor biography series. Today we feature the three who play the family at the centre of the story. Their story represents just one of (too) many immigrant families who struggle to find their place and sense of purpose in a new city.
- Lacina Dembélé is Sam, a teenager eager to fit in as a Canadian. Lacina was born in a village named Kolia situated in the Ivory Coast. He spent a small part of his childhood in Sinfra and Abidjan then came to Winnipeg at the age of 4. At 11 years old, he learned how to play the flute then later the guitar, piano and drums. Emerging in the acting scene, he has appeared in Ripple Effect with Sarasvàti, at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Festival Théatre Jeunesse and The Festival AFRIK. Lacina has the toughest character journey in the play and on top of that has to do all the beat boxing!
- Cherrel Holder plays Sam’s sister Tracy who fights to keep her brother from making the wrong choices.Cherrel was born in Trinidad and moved to Canada at the age of 11. Cherrel began acting in theatre in Junior High and continued throughout High School at Vincent Massey Collegiate, where she also began doing musical theatre, and exploring script writing. In grade 11 Cherrel entered the Scirocco High school Playwriting Competition and had her script Caroline performed on the MTC Warehouse stage. Cherrel graduated High School at the age of 17 with the highest mark in Theatre. Cherrel is now continuing her education in dance and does on-screen, theatre, and musical theatre work in her spare time. In Diss you not only get to see her acting skills but she raps and dances!
- Lorraine James plays the mother, Maizie, who struggles to pay the bills and keep her family together.Lorraine goes back & forth with entry-level jobs in the service industry, pursuing her love of acting for film (You Kill Me), television (Cashing In), commercials (With Child, Without Alcohol) and theatre (Sarasvàti Productions, Fantasy Theatre for Children, Winnipeg/Vancouver Fringe Festival, Vancouver Theatre Sports League, Vancouver Playhouse, Theatre in the Raw and Walterdale Playhouse). Although the oldest cast member, Lorraine has learned to rap for the play and shows that she is truly young at heart!
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks to hear what youth say about the show!
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Sarasvati Transforms' Blog 
Reblogged this on Lorraine James and commented:
Post One Hundred Ninet-Three.
Last night’s show rocked! I’m only sorry that many others I knew didn’t get the chance to check it out their only opportunity to see this show, viewed to the public. It’s shown only to people who’ve booked us, so last night was the one and only chance.