Jamaican playright Trevor Rhone performing his one-man play 'Bella's Gate' before a NY audience at St. John's University recently. - Contributed

Today we feature the 2007 Gleaner Honour Award nominee in the category Arts and Culture.

Trevor Rhone holds a firm place among the most well respected black writers of our time. In Jamaica, his is a household name, and most high school students would have become familiar with his popular plays Old Story Time and Smile Orange by the time they get to the 11th grade.

Older folks may be more familiar with his role in co-writing the script to the extremely successful film of the 1970s, The Harder They Come.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the contribution that this brilliant playwright, actor, director, producer, writer and lecturer has made to the development of the arts in Jamaica.

He was born in 1940 and grew up in a little known community called Bellas Gate in St. Catherine.

He began his theatre career as a teacher after spending three years studying at the Rose Bruford College, which is an English drama school. Rhone was an instrumental player in the renaissance of Jamaican theatre in the early 1970s. He participated in a group called Theatre '77 which established The Barn, a small theatre in Kingston to stage local performances.

Black screen icons

He has been honoured for his work all over the world, and most recently (July 2007) was voted third among the top 100 black screen icons of the past century in an on-line poll. The poll sought to identify 100 of the most significant international Black/African Diaspora personalities in film and television. Rhone received 10 per cent of the votes to place third behind Sidney Poitier in second place and Denzel Washington who topped the poll. Spike Lee and Morgan Freeman placed fourth and fifth respectively.

But even with his outstanding success, Trevor Rhone remains rooted and proudly speaks of his humble beginnings. In an interview with The Gleaner in 2003, he beamed as he spoke of his upbringing.

"I was born poor you know, but poverty is a relative thing. Those were some of the happiest days of my life, my childhood. I had enough to eat, enough fresh air, enough land to roam and fruits to pick. Happy family, happy brothers and sisters, we were not really burdened with any major cares. Once our bellies were full and we had a place to sleep, we were fine. There was no running water, but we were basically fine. I didn't know of anything else and we had a joyous time," he said.

He gave a surprising response when asked about his first taste of success, Smile Orange, a play that catapulted him to fame when he was only 29 years old.

Quite happy

"I was turning 30. I never thought I would ever own a car. I had no ambition to ever own a car. Never knew I would own a little house. It wasn't a drive, I was quite happy to take the bus. I had no social hang-ups at all. I had chosen a life for myself which would possibly not have those rewards. I was never driven by the need to have money. I may have a little apartment that is clean and reasonable. I would take the bus, quite happily. The fact that I have now had a series of cars in my life is nothing. That's why to buy a Mercedes Benz doesn't turn me on at all. Give me a little car to take me from A to B, I don't have to keep it too clean; don't have to wash it too often. I do realise I must service my car though, so it won't leave me on the road," he joked.

So, to add to his already long list of awards, which include the Toronto Film Festival Genie Award for Milk and Honey, Trevor Rhone will receive the 2007 Gleaner Honour Award in the category Arts and Culture.

Trevor Rhone relaxes with daughter Tracey who holds his Genie award.

Jamaican film-maker, Trevor Rhone (standing), makes a point during the opening of 'Movies at Utech' in the Calvin McKain Library at the University of Technology, Old Hope Road, St. Andrew recently.

Trevor Rhone and Leslie-Ann Wanliss at the launch of Festival, National Indoor Sports Centre on Thursday, June 14. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Popular plays

Smile Orange (1971)

School's Out (1972)

Old Story Time (1981)

Two Can Play (1982)

The Game (1985)