News Americas, New York, NY, September 13, 2024: Jamaican actress Miranda Melhado has joined the cast of Not About Eve, the award-winning drama by Karl O’Brian Williams, which will be presented as a staged reading by the Atlantic Theater Company.
Part of the theater’s annual Caribbean MixFest, the event runs from September 14th to 20th at The Atlantic Stage 2 Theater in New York City. Not About Eve will be performed on Wednesday, September 18th, at 7 p.m., as a one-night-only event.
Melhado will perform alongside an all-female cast of three, which includes Jamaican actors Heather Alicia Simms, known for her role in Broadway’s Purlie Victorious, and Mitzi Pratt from Amazon Prime’s Nanny. The production will be directed by Patrice Johnson Chevannes, a celebrated Jamaican-born filmmaker, actress, and director, whose credits include Broadway’s The Crucible and Shakespeare Theater of DC’s Othello.
Miranda Melhado in ‘From Yard -The Series.‘ (Photo courtesy of Cupcake Rapture Studios.)
Set in modern-day Jamaica, Not About 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 Katherine’s husband’s death sparks a series of events that forces the women to confront deep emotional truths about their relationships, ultimately challenging the bonds that hold them together.
Originally premiering in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2006, Not About Eve won the 2007 International Theatre Institute (Jamaica) Actor Boy Award for Best New Jamaican Play. The drama made its New York City debut in 2012 and was later featured at the 2013 National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina.
For Melhado, the role of Kimberly Shields is another significant milestone in her growing career. She was last seen on the New York stage in the American premiere of Alwin Bully’s McBee, and also appears in the horror film Amityville Vampire, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Her other credits include the upcoming TV pilot From Yard, which will premiere at the Nollywood Film Festival in Toronto this month, and David Heron’s Against His Will at The Apollo.
“I’m thrilled to be part of such an incredible cast of Jamaican actors and to work with the talented Patrice Johnson Chevannes,” says Melhado. “Karl has crafted three strong, complex female characters who are financially stable but emotionally tested. I look forward to bringing Kimberly to life and offering audiences a memorable experience on September 18.”
Though born to Syrian and Portuguese parents, Melhado grew up in Jamaica and holds a BA in acting from the University of Southern California (USC). Remarkably, Not About Eve is only the second time she has portrayed a Jamaican character on stage, the first being in Against His Will.
“People often assume I’m Brazilian, Italian, or even Greek, so I rarely get cast 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 like Spring Awakening and The Band’s Visit. The MixFest series, which celebrates diverse voices in theater, is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.
For tickets to Not About Eve, visit AtlanticTheater.org.