This year's TROIKA Work in Progress #II 'H.I.S.T.O.R.Y.' was everything and more than one could expect from an excellent production.

The night opened with the Negro spiritual 'Hold on Just a Little Bit Longer', which brought goose bumps because it was performed with the pain of all of the ancestors.

Djembes (African drums) were played in "talking drum fashion" and the cast danced both on stage and within the audience, which gave the audience an authentic African feel.

For anyone who was not aware of the African historical journey to the West, what was faced throughout slavery, of facts that many were not just captured, but who were sold, that Bermuda was the first place in the West to hold slaves, to Sally Bassett, to the battles that were fought throughout such as Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad, to the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and others, to modern day challenges youngsters face because of the lack of understanding of what was faced so that they could enjoy the freedoms that they enjoy today, H.I.S.T.O.R.Y. would have brought them up to date.

The beauty about this play was that it was inclusive and no malice was felt, it was a production that was intended for the sharing of history and to pass that onto many of the audience members.

The music equally took the audience through the ages and brought members right up to the Hip Hop era with much in between from Negro spirituals, to gospel, to scatting and other genres, which represented the many eras in the growth of each generation.

The African accents were a little off, but it was an excellent attempt, and the company didn't have the vocalists of last year's cast, but again the imparting of knowledge was mainly what the play was all about.

All in all, the play made one feel proud of the African history and proud to be of African descent.

H.I.S.T.O.R.Y. was an excellent production and one can only wait with baited breath to see what TROIKA comes up with for next year's summer production.

TROIKA's plays are researched, written and acted out by the cast members and the play took place at City Hall from last Thursday to Saturday. The play was sold out on all three nights.