BRADES, Montserrat – It’s been 20 years since actress Dionne Audain has visited her homeland of Montserrat and she is returning as a presenter and instructor at YES Caribbean, a conference for entrepreneurs May 25-28, 2011 at the Montserrat Cultural Centre.
Dionne left Montserrat at the age of seven prior, having grown up around Plymouth and later St. Johns in the North.
“This opportunity is quite necessary at this point in my career. So much has happened since I’ve been there socially, politically, economically and of course geographically. Now coming back as an actor/ entrepreneur it’s going to be great to share my experience, my expertise as well as catch up and tour the island and see my family and best childhood friends,” Dionne said of her upcoming visit.
The actress has been racking up her acting credentials over the past decade. She will be on island to be a feature presenter at YES Caribbean 2011 and also lead the Movie in a Week project, which will teach production skills which can be used to make full length feature films or to add visual elements to small business promotions.
“I am very pleased that Dionne accepted our invitation and has jumped enthusiastically into the project to help build our visual expertise. As a region we need to show the many different facets of our islands. This includes improving how we promote our businesses.We need to showcase Montserrat more and in many different ways. The more persons with the skills and the capacity to show the island and the Caribbean through their eyes, the more exposure we can bring to our business and our economies,” said Nerissa Golden, organizer of the conference.
Dionne Audain is known for her powerful performances delivered with genuine authenticity with major credits in television, feature films and national and regional commercials. Audain has tackled roles from a preacher’s wife to secret service agent, proving that she has both breadth and depth as an actress. This incredibly talented actress began her career as consultant in corporate America before beginning her journey into acting.
Moviegoers were introduced to Audain in her independent film debut A Shepherd of Pure Heart (DVD, 2003). Audain gave a standout performance as Elizabeth Upton, a supportive, loving and demanding wife. In early 2005, Audain was seen in indie short Tuffy Low-low, as Mrs. Ward, a tough administrator in charge of a private nursing home. Other indie film supporting roles include The Evils, Like Water, Finding My Precious Basquiat, The Euphoria Project, Poof and Manuel Chavez.
Audain made her feature film debut as an actor portraying Abe Lincoln in the comedy/drama Rocket Science (2006) for director Jeff Blitz, a story about a teenage boy with a horrific stuttering problem who joins his high-school debate team in an ill-fated effort to win the girl of his dreams. In early 2009 Dionne was handpicked for a role by Joel Schumacher himself, for his latest feature film Twelve. The film’s cast includes such notables as Keifer Sutherland, Chance Crawford, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson slated for release in 2010. She filmed Salt which stars Angelina Jolie and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Her other films of note include: Sex And The City 2 where she’s featured as a teacher at Brady’s school in a scene with Cynthia Nixon; The Happening where she got the opportunity to work with director M. Night Shyamalan and alongside Zoë Deschanel despite her scene being cut; Rocket Science directed by Jeff Blitz with actors Nicholas D’Agosto, Margo Martindale, Vincent Piazza, Reece Thompson and Aaron Yoo.
Dionne’s television work includes a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a re-occurring role on the hit HBO series The Wire alongside Dominic West, the short-lived FX series Starved with Del Pentecost, All My Children and America’s Most Wanted.
The NY Times hailed that in her stage work Dionne “has a nice, natural air…” She has toured nationally with The John F. Kennedy Center, appeared off-Broadway at venues such as Urban Stages, The Queens Company, Roundtable Ensemble, Target Margin Theater and has worked regionally at Arena Stage, African Continuum Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, Theatre of The First Amendment, Shakespeare & Company and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Dionne also has numerous local, regional and national commercials and print campaigns for companies such as BlackberryGov.com, Subway, Walmart, Maryland Lottery, Bath Fitter and Health Care for America Now.
To learn more about Audain and the Movie in a Week project visit www.yes.trulycaribbean.net or email info@trulycaribbean.net.
ENDS
Photo Caption: Actress Dionne Audain will be returning to her homeland of Montserrat for YES Caribbean May 25-28, 2011, a conference for entrepreneurs.
