Delcita and daughter Dreanna Williams share creative bond - Actress opens ‘Contestant69’ on Mother’s Day

Veteran Jamaican actress and playwright Andrea ‘Delcita’ Wright has built a career that spans decades of stage performance and comedy, earning her a respected place in local theatre. Beyond her own work, she has also contributed to the industry as a mentor, helping to shape and guide emerging actors who credit her influence in their development. That care extends into her personal life, where her daughter, Dreanna Williams, has followed in her creative footsteps and often collaborates with her on and off stage. The duo is now preparing to bring joy on Mother’s Day for Wright’s latest production, Contestant69: The Court House Edition.

Inspired by her mother, the 24-year-old shared that she enjoys working with her, as the feeling never gets old.

 “It still feels so new and fresh every time. Dealing with new perspectives, new shows and new audiences always gives you something special to look forward to. It’s truly special,” Williams told The Gleaner.  It was while in fifth form at York Castle High that Williams realised she also wanted to get involved in production. Though preparing for her CSEC examinations at the time, she still wanted to help behind the scenes without the pressure of learning lines.

 Wright beams whenever she speaks about her daughter, noting that watching her carve out her own lane has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life.

“Dreanna has matured significantly in what she does. For the most part, she stays on the technical side because that is the type of person she is, being a final year student in quantity surveying,” she said. “If she goes on stage, it’s because there is no other option,” Delcita said with a laugh.

Despite not being a front-stage performer like her mother, Williams has been indispensable to Wright’s team. “I am just happy to see her walk her own path, and I couldn’t be prouder,” Wright added.

Beyond working with her daughter, the actress also takes pride in creating opportunities for young talent.

“Every year I expose a minimum of three new talents, and this year I am looking at four. I have two students out of UWI, and I have an Edna Manley student as well. I even gave a Glenmuir student just a little cameo,” Delcita explained. “So I am always exposing students to a new space just to give them an opportunity for the experience.”

She added that students from universities and other higher education institutions often bring a unique depth to her productions.

“Another big reason I am always involving students from universities and higher education institutions is that I often feel they are the best for bringing across the type of writing I do. I know a lot of people may look at it as too roots, but it requires a lot of nuances, which I think they are great at delivering with the right tutelage,” she continued.

As Contestant69 unfolds on Sunday at the Summit Kingston in St Andrew, the mother-daughter duo is excited to bring laughter to the audience at its 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. showings.

Wright shared that her fans have been longing for her to return to Kingston with another play, and the actress feels she’s found the right one. 

“Kingston is always in need of entertainment, but it is sometimes difficult to bring anything here because of the lack of entertainment spaces. But my fans have been calling and calling for me to come and do something,” she said.

While anticipated to be a gut-buster, Delcita says she also envisions Contestant69 to be a learning experience.

“The play will be surrounding matters of estate planning, and the ‘dead lef’ culture in Jamaica. While we want to make sure you laugh and have a good time, I still want the fans to leave with some information that they can deem as useful if they are ever in certain situations,” Delcita told The Gleaner. 

entertainment@gleanerjm.com

Captions:

Delcita and Dreanna Williams C345:

Actress and playwright Andrea ‘Delcita’ Wright(right) and her daughter Dreanna Williams share a moment. Williams says she enjoys working alongside her mother, describing the experience as consistently fresh and rewarding.

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Delcita (left) shares a smile with her daughter Dreanna Williams following the Kingston staging of ‘The Real Wife’ last December. 

DelcitawrightC3456 (group photo):

Andrea ‘Delcita’ Wright (centre) with cast members of the ‘Contestant69’ play (from left) Trudy Campbell-Fraser, Diedrie Wadsworth, Jamaine ‘Patchie’ Lucas, and Naila Asabi Henry.