Dear Source:
Part II of Comedy Madness, a satirical drama about the drafting of a constitution, took place on April 21, 2009 at the University of the Virgin Islands. This theatrical play was orchestrated by Generation Now and the comedy drama was entitled "Constitutional Conundrum." Indeed, it was a great comedy show and the performance of the actors (comedians) was superb; the role each played was well suited. In scene I, "Conundrum Battle of the Brain," there were four competitors engaged in a contest to unravel the mystery of who is a "Native Virgin Islander."
Contestant#1, the class clown, was the crowd's favorite. Infamous for his hilarious temper tantrums, the class clown made sure the back of the hall was filled with the noisiest members of his cheering squad. They applauded loudly whenever the clown spoke and booed whenever the winner of the contest stood to address them. The infantile antics of the clown, such as whining about the title of the play, identifying the real name of one of the actors, chatting on his cell phone while the winner was delivering his lines and faultlessly announcing that he had to "pee" every time the judge stood, made me roar with laughter.
Contestant#2, the senator, was played by a Hispanic female. She began with a monologue about her ancestors migrating to St. Croix from Puerto Rico. To her amazement, she discovered that she was an "Ancestral Native Virgin Islander" and indeed eligible to receive special treatment as a first class citizen of the USVI. The clown's squad cheered triumphantly when this piece of the puzzle was solved. I am sure she is eternally grateful for this truth (lots of votes).
Contestant#3, the judge, was the formidable opponent and undefeated champion in every round of the competition. His intellectual, witty jabs caused the clown to wince in pain and to run to the boy's room for relief from the pressure. The attempt to rattle his brain by posing a triple-tricky question was a failure. Although he answered all his questions brilliantly and focused on the issue: unlike the clown who never directly answered questions and made constant personal attacks, the judge was disrespected by an unruly group. The ringleader of the group was a school principal. Nevertheless, the judge was able to deliver the greatest punch line of the evening, reminding the clown that he is a native of the "Virgin Islander of the United States."
The final contestant, #4, was the radio personality. He was unfazed by the clown's revelation that he was an impostor and not qualified to be a "Native Virgin Islander." His calm, cool and collective demeanor was a testament to his performance as the #1 radio talk show host in the territory. He carefully read the words of a former VI governor and proudly proclaimed at the end, "I am a true Virgin Islander."
"Constitutional Conundrum" was the best comedy show that I ever attended in the Virgin Islands of the United States. The pieces of this enormous jigsaw puzzle were almost entirely put together by the judge. Unfortunately, the class clown is still in a maze searching for the exact time his ancestors arrived from Africa and what words should be used to define himself.
Verdel L. Petersen
St. Croix
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