Ghetto Tramp comes back

Published 10:25 pm Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Ghetto Tramp is coming back to the stage.

Suffolk playwright Jo Anne Jones is bringing back one of her popular plays, Ghetto Tramp, to the stage at Smithfield High School.

“I’m very excited to bring it back,” Jones said. “We did it in Windsor and we had very good attendance. People seemed to really enjoy it.”

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Jones runs her Jo Marc Productions and has been writing since 1990. In that time, she has written more than half a dozen full-length plays and 12 one-act plays. One of those productions is “Ghetto Tramp,” a gospel-inspired play that looks at the consequences of poor decision making.

“Most people look at productions as entertainment, but I see my productions as a ministry,” Jones said. “When people come, they will be able to relate based on family members or themselves and it can make them rethink some decisions they have made.”

Seeing her writing as a ministry, Jones combines her faith as well as her love of theater.

Jones said she grew up with a love of theater, which led to her studies in English. Following a career in the classroom, Jones began writing plays after being inspired by her sister, who was writing her first play.

Jones’s last production, “Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone,” debuted at the Smithfield Center last winter. Enjoying the Smithfield community, Jones said she is happy to bring back one of her most popular plays to the town.

“It was nice to know that so many people really liked it and wanted their friends to see it,” Jones said. “I have some new cast members, but the essence of the play has stayed the same. I think people will enjoy it.”

The play is considered an adult gospel drama, and it is requested no children attend.

Tickets are available now. Tickets costs $25 in advance, $30 at the door. The drama will debut Saturday, Nov.7 at 7 p.m.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 809-1342. For more information on Jones’s other plays, visit www.jomarcproductions.us.