Misha Lobban, Gleaner Writer

Ellington

Some people come into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never the same. - Anonymous

Fae Ellington is a consummate entertainer, an accomplished actress, and has also distinguished herself as a broadcaster and communication specialist.

Well known for her wit, cultural anecdotes and repartee as an MC, Fae is also a lecturer, trainer and motivational speaker.

This multi-talented Jamaican has also directed a one-woman production, 'Who Will Sing For Lena' - her first attempt as a director, which earned her a nomination in the best director category of the Actor Boy Awards for 2005.

She has received many awards and accolades for her outstanding work in theatre and broadcasting. In 1998, she received the national honour, the Order of Distinction (Officer Class), for her services to the performing arts.

She names as her best friends Grace McGhie-Brown (actress), Phyllis McFarlane (social worker) and David Shields (deputy director of tourism).

Through the eyes of Grace McGhie, who has been acting professionally since 1971 and is best known for her roles in plays such as Smile Orange, Two Can Play, The Rope and The Cross, What the Hell is Happening to Us Dear and The Fortunes of Floralee (a JBC radio series), we learn some interesting things about Fae.

Legendary rice and peas

She tells us of Fae's sense of adventure, her dream of 'sky-diving' ever since she was a young girl, and her ability to overcome all adversity in her life. We also learn about Fae's legendary rice and peas that is a favourite among her friends, and her love for entertaining.

How did you meet Fae Ellington, and how long have you been friends?

We have been friends since about 1970 or 1971, but neither of us can remember just how we met or exactly when it was. It could have centred around the Slade Hopkinson play, Sala, which is the first play we did together [but I think that was 1973]. She had to substitute at very short notice for the lead, Christine Bell, who had to have emergency surgery for appendicitis.

Tell us what you admire most about her and why you think you have remained friends all these years.

I admire her spirit to overcome all adversity in her life and the way in which she applies herself to achieve excellence in everything she does - and she does many things and does them well. Her brain is always working intelligently, for example, when we go to see a new play, whether singly or together, I always enjoy her deep analysis of all its elements - plot, characters, set, staging, how it was directed and how successful the actors were at interpreting their roles.

She also knows when to leave 'well enough' alone. She can size up a situation and decide whether to 'go for it' or to walk away. I also admire her discipline for her craft. She is a planner and the consummate compere, with an ability to think quickly and to draw on her talents as dancer and singer during a function.

Share common interests

Best friends Grace (left) and Fae. - Contributed

We have remained friends because we share many common interests and really care about each other.

Tell us something interesting about her.

She's very adventurous, always wanting to explore new ideas and places. She packs a lot of living into each day. She has confessed to a dream of 'sky-diving' ever since she was a young girl! I have no doubt that she might come to realise that dream.

She's also a great cook and loves to entertain. Her rice and peas is legendary - it doesn't need any 'salt ting' to spice it up.

Her friends will sometimes go to her house in the dead of night, feel hungry and encourage her to put on a pot of rice and peas, then wait for it to cook and eat it straight from the pot, while blowing on it to cool it!

Never tasted pork

Interestingly, she has never tasted pork and is very strict about that - having been raised in an Adventist household. Her friends know that they shouldn't even try to play a trick on her with pork as that would be the end of the friendship.

What are some of the things you talk about when you are together.

Current affairs, especially what's happening in Jamaica, in all areas of life. We share our deep concerns about the level of crime and the reasons for it, and most of all, question how we can possibly extricate ourselves from this dark pool, how we can return to the Jamaica that we knew where there was law and order and a sense of caring for each other. We also talk about family matters, especially the high points, be they good or bad. Of course, we talk about the theatre for which we both have a great love.

Share with us some of the happiest moments you have experienced with her.

We were in Louis Marriott's Playboy, which was showing at the Little Theatre in 1981 and there were many funny moments and adventurous times, especially when we had performances out of town. I was the one to tell her that she was pregnant (with her son, Stuart) while we were in the dressing room of the theatre during a performance. She wasn't feeling well but hadn't yet worked out why!

Touring

Then there were the times when we would go touring in her little Sprite Convertible at nights after a party (this was in the '70s when the streets were safe).

Her 'gatherings' at her apartment on Saturdays for soup, which sometimes continued on into the night, and morphed into wine and cheese parties with fierce discussions on politics, involving lawyers, members of music bands, actors, and all kinds of people - those were memorable days!

Tell us the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Fae and why.

She is a real stickler for time and her attention to details. She has certainly helped me to improve on my own time management, which used to be abysmal over the years.

What are her favourite food, music and sport?

Fish, vegetarian-style dishes, soups, anything healthy.

Her favourite music would be a mixture of old-time '70s music, like ska, ballroom, rocksteady and also reggae and real mento-type stuff - anything she can dance to.

Her favourite sport would be football, after that would be athletics and all other sports.

Tell us the colour that you associate with her:

Yellow - signifying someone you'll never forget.

Orange - signifying someone you consider your true friend.

Red - signifying someone you really love.

Green - signifying someone who has had a significant impact on your life.

It would have to be all four colours! They all encompass what she represents.

A true friend stands with you through the good and the bad times, loves and supports you despite who you are but challenges you and can inspire and encourage you to grow and to achieve new heights, and this defines our friendship.

Please send your feedback and comments to lobban_misha@yahoo.com