Jamaican Actor Wins Broadway World Award

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan. 18, 2024: Jamaican-born actor and playwright, David Heron has taken home the 2023 Broadway World Rhode Island Award for Best Supporting Performer, triumphing over nearly 30 other nominees with his portrayal of Caliban in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

David Heron as Caliban in The Tempest. Photo Credit- Bridget Huss

The critically acclaimed production took place from July to August 2023 in Wilcox Park, Westerly, as part of the annual Shakespeare in The Park Festival presented by The Colonial Theatre of Rhode Island.

Winners of the 2023 awards were announced on Broadwayworld.com on January 17th, following a month-long online public vote, with participants from Rhode Island, the USA, and globally.

Heron, who also works behind the scenes, off camera, with the post production team as a Jamaican dialect coach on the new HBO series, ‘Get Millie Black,’ stood out in a crowded field of 29 actors, earning the top honor.

The Tempest, in addition to Heron’s award, also secured the Best Costume Design accolade for Jaysen Engel. The production received a total of seventeen nominations, covering categories such as Best Play, Best Director (Marion Markham), Best Acting Ensemble, and Best Choreography, among others.

Heron expressed his gratitude for the win, emphasizing the role of director Marion Markham in addressing the play’s racial and colonial themes, making the role more acceptable.

He actively campaigned for votes during the one-month voting period, leveraging his networks, including his alma maters, corporate connections, family, and friends, as well as the entertainment community in Jamaica and the USA.

The global support he received resulted in a remarkable win that touched people across the Caribbean, North America, Europe, and Africa. Heron’s victory has been met with overwhelming joy, and he acknowledges the collective effort that made it possible.

Heron’s career spans appearances in various productions off-Broadway as well as in many regional and international productions. He has not only acted but also written plays like Love and Marriage, New York City, and Against His Will.

The Broadway World Awards are prestigious regional theatrical honors presented annually by Broadwayworld.com, a leading entertainment industry website covering theatre worldwide.

The 2023 Broadway World Rhode Island Awards showcased the Stadium Theatre as the biggest winner, earning fifteen of the eighteen awards, including Best Play (A Christmas Carol), Best Musical (Newsies), and Best Theatre For Young Audiences (Peter Pan).

For the full list of winners, please visit link to the Broadway World Rhode Island Awards.