The 7-year-old grandson of the Humanities’ administrative assistant, one of two child actors in Dillard’s recent performances of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” says his first role on-stage may not be his last.
Jerrime McAfee, the grandson of Zena Ezeb and a second-grader at the New Orleans Montesssori School, says he hopes to come across more roles. He says he would have “no problem acting again in the future.”
Jerrime and Arianna Holmes, also a second-grader, played siblings, two of the six children of Gooper and Mae.
Jerrime had to learn two roles, those of Buster and Dixie. With his role as Dixie, he argues with Mother and sister Trixie, and he also sings a song for Big Daddy’s birthday.
To prepare for his eight performances the weekends of March 19 and 26, Jerrime had to practice twice a week for about two hours, adding to his already cramped schedule of school and sports.
Jerrime says he loved playing the roles, and the only problem he had was to remember not to smile.
Of school, Jerrime says that if his school had grades, he would have all A’s. His favorite subject is spelling. In his free time, he says likes to sing and play basketball, football and baseball.
McAfee is the son of India McDougle and Jerrime McAfee Sr. He has six stepbrothers and stepsisters and says he enjoys spending time with them when he can.
Ezeb, who told Jerrime of the search for child actors for the play, called her first grandchild “the light of my life.”
(Devan Lee contributed to this report.)