Photo Caption: Sourced Photo of 2018 ICS Awardees
By: Staff Writer
Jamaican actor, playwright, and comedian, Oliver Samuels has received the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute for Caribbean Studies (ICS).
The Institute, which is based in Washington DC, bestowed the award on Samuels on November 16, 2018, during the 25th Caribbean-American Heritage Awards Gala. This year’s Gala’s theme was “A Celebration of Excellence and Service.”
Samuels received the award in recognition of his outstanding body of work and for promoting the Jamaican brand in the performing arts communities, both locally and internationally. According to Dr. Claire Nelson, Samuels is considered one of Jamaica’s “thespian luminaries.”
Samuels has played major roles in some 13 national pantomimes, including “Music Boy”, “Queenie’s Daughter”, “Dickance for Fippance”, “Hail Columbus”, “The Witch”, “Johnny Reggae”, “Ginneral B”, “The Pirate Princess”, “Trash”, “The Hon All Purpose” and “The Dancing Princess.”
In addition, Samuels has also appeared in 20 additional productions, including “The Fight Against Slavery”, the British Broadcasting Corporation’s television series, which aired in 1974.
He received his own television series, which included ‘Oliver at Large’ and ‘Large and in Charge.
In addition, Samuels has also appeared in 20 additional productions, including “The Fight Against Slavery”, the British Broadcasting Corporation’s television series, which aired in 1974.
He received his own television series, which included ‘Oliver at Large’ and ‘Large and in Charge.‘ His his latest piece “56 East Avenue” opened in Miramar, Florida, on September 1, 2018.
Other ICS honorees at the Gala included the Reggae Foundation Grammy Winning Inner Circle Band, which is known for the song “Bad Boys”; Jamaican microbiologist and current president of the J. Craig Venter Institute, Dr. Karen Nelson; rising opera star, Alyson Cambridge, who is of Guyanese heritage; and Sherry Herbert from Nevis, who is the vice president of Black Enterprise.
