The play ?Late Bus To Mecca? opens this evening at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute with Nishanthi Bailey and Spelman University student Kadija Johnson in the lead roles.

Miss Bailey, who local audiences may remember as ?Sia? in the one-woman show mounted by THE Company last summer, first performed this Pearl Cleage-penned play in Atlanta.

She and Ms Johnson won their roles over many aspiring actresses and are now pleased to have the opportunity to present the play locally.

Ms Johnson is travelling to the Island specifically for the performances.

?She cannot only come down and visit, but has the opportunity to do an international performance,? said Miss Bailey, whose father Wendell (Shine) Hayward is producing the show.

After the opening night in Atlanta, both actresses had the opportunity to meet the playwright, Ms Cleage, who is known as one of the best African American playwrights and has also been on both the New York Times Best Sellers List and Oprah?s Book Club.

?She gave us accolades during the talk-back session and she was so excited,? said Miss Bailey.

?She is also a Spelman graduate and was feeling extra proud.?

The play focuses on many of society?s gritty issues.

?She writes a lot about women?s issues, such as domestic violence, homelessness,? Miss Bailey said. ?And she takes an issue and creates a story line around it and makes it entertaining.?

Asked is she was a little nervous about the Bermudian audience?s reaction to the play, she said: ?Well it does say ?adult language and content? and people may be a bit nervous.

?But I think that it is important to consider that it is relevant to this character who is very real to the world and there is nothing profane that will offend anyone.

?It is presenting a real situation and, at the end of the day, there is a message behind it.?

The two characters of the play are realistically presented and Miss Bailey said the local audience should be able to relate to their stories.

?I think it is good to have controversial characters, because people can get to know us,? she said. ?There is always something underneath, which is why I chose this piece and you never really know a person until you know them. We don?t often get to know people before we place a label on them.?

Many Bermudians are already familiar with the playwright?s works, she added.

?So far I have received a lot of good feedback because a lot of people know Pearl Cleage and have read her books, ?What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day? and ?I wish I had Worn the Red Dress?,? she said.

The play is set in 1970, the year when Muhammad Ali (a.k.a. Cassius Clay) was making his return to the boxing ring after being in exile because he had refused to go join the army.

?Atlanta was the first place to give him a licence to box, so everybody was going because he was fighting Jerry Quarry that year,? Miss Bailey explained.

?Mecca refers to Atlanta as the wondrous, great city to live in ? or the ?Black Mecca?.

Tickets are available at JaNauzis, Emporium, Front Street, Caesar?s Pharmacy, Somerset, Egmont?s in St. George?s or by ringing 333-9092. They are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. There will be two performances each night, the first at 6.30 p.m. and the second at 8.30 p.m.