By Lynn Venhaus
Seeking his own creative lane in St. Louis, multi-hyphenate Cameron Jamarr Davis is making some noise as founding artistic director of Soul Siren Playhouse, whose inaugural production is Amira Baraka’s “Dutchman.”

The 60-year-old revolutionary play is running from Feb. 1 to Feb. 18 at the new venue, Greenfinch Theater and Dive.

An American nonprofit arts and cultural enrichment organization committed to social outreach, activism, and artistic development through the medium of dramatic and artistic expression, Soul Siren Playhouse aims to challenge and provoke thought, thus change, through artistic exploration and dramatic encounters — while holding space for safe, civil, proactive communication and collaboration on polarizing issues, he said.

The past five years have been a journey for Cameron. “One riddled with lessons, setbacks, successes, and various trials of patience, determination and faith,” he said.

After starting Soul Siren in Los Angeles in 2019, he relocated back to St. Louis and weathered the pandemic. In 2022, he was named a directing fellow at St Louis Shakespeare Festival and played James Hewlett, the first black Shakespearean actor in the U.S., in “The African Company Presents Richard III” at The Black Rep..

In 2023, he won the St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Drama, Male or Non-Binary Role, for that role.

He also portrayed Hector MacQueen in “Murder on the Orient Express” at The Rep and was the cop, among other roles, in “Clue” at Stages St. Louis.

“Clue” and “Murder on the Orient Express” are both nominated for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy, and “Clue” leads all St. Louis Theater Circle Awards nominations with 11. (Ceremony on March 25).

“Cameron said “Clue” was the highlight of 2023 on stage for him.

“It was one of those productions that actors dream to be a part of because it was the definition of ‘theater magic’ — all the elements came together so perfectly, you could feel the pure, unrelenting joy that the audience was experiencing. That, in turn, reminded me of the joy I experience onstage as an actor, and the gift of light that theater is capable of bringing to people’s lives,” he said.

“To work with such skilled, hilarious actors, I was on stage legit trying not to break every night. And would bow at the end of every performance not only taking pride in what I do, but beaming with sincere joyfulness. That show truly was a gift, and redeemed something for me I didn’t know I needed,” he said.

Davis is currently an artist-in-residence at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, and has rebuilt Soul Siren from the ground up, along with a collective of committed artisans. He is a graduate of Clayton High School and earned a BFA in Dramatic Performance at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.

For Soul Siren’s first show, Cameron wanted to celebrate the timeless artistry of “Dutchman.” When he read it in college, he identified with its passion, rawness and abstract chaotic nature.

“Unfiltered and unapologetic, Baraka’s writing sirens the soul of the artist as strongly as it does the revolutionary,” he said.

He describes the 65-minute show as an emotionally charged and highly symbolic version of the Adam and Eve story, where an unsuspecting black man is encountered by a mysterious and calculating white seductress alone on an underground train.. It won the Obie Award for Best Play in 1964.

“The show is gritty, raw, and provocative. It is a clear affirmation of a counter-cultural identity that demands to be seen, felt, heard and understood,” he said.

“We aim to assume a timeless approach to this story that is coming upon the 60th Anniversary of its premiere off-Broadway in March 1964. We also have an interactive dramaturgy display, educating audiences on the playwright, the Black Arts Movement of the 70’s, and the genre of beat poetry, which came about at this time that also has influence on the play’s script,” he said.

“A provocative drama that rests between allegory and realism, I believe the danger of this play lies in its fearless attempt to explore what lies at the heart of America’s subconscious and collective identity. Its subterranean setting grants two complete strangers the freedom to encounter their hidden natures as well as one another. A clamorous racing train serves as the vessel for its action as well as the thoughts of its passionate playwright,” he said.

“Though Baraka, the individual, does not fully represent the philosophy, truth, and ideals of Soul Siren Playhouse; the fearless and socially conscious instincts represented in ‘Dutchman’ speak directly to the foundation of our goals as a cultural institution,” he explained.

“We want to facilitate community dialogue on the challenging questions the play continues to present, Our intention is to unify, harmonize and most importantly, entertain, with this bold, challenging story,” he said.

The cast features Cameron Jamarr, Eileen Engel, Jeremy Thomas and alternates DeAnte Bryant and Donald Kidd in a brief role. The creative team includes Scenic Design by Bradford Rolen, Lighting Design by Lenny Banks, Sound Design and Hair Design by De’Janna Scales-Hand, and Dramaturgy by Zahria Moore. Bradford Rolen is also the Stage Manager. The show was co-directed by Cameron, Eileen, Rolen and Moore.

So far, the word he hears most from audiences is “unexpected.” You’ll want to join the conversation.

Soul Siren Playhouse presents Amiri Baraka’s “Dutchman” through Feb. 18 at Greenfinch Theatre and Dive Bar on 2525 South Jefferson, St. Louis.

Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday two shows – 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The cost is free (donations can be made), but RSVPs are necessary. For RSVPs/tickets, visit: https://a.purplepass.com/organizer/67544

For more information: www.playsiren.com.

There will be talkbacks following the shows Thursday 2/8 and 2/15.

Our Take Ten Q&A with Cameron Jamarr Davis

1. What is special about your latest project?

“Our first show ‘Dutchman’ has been five years in the making to get to this point, and we have made personal history by presenting our inaugural production as a black inspired theater company on the first day of Black History Month.” 

2. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?

“It very much chose me. I was torn between going to college to study acting professionally or pursuing a degree in English. After inadvertently booking my first professional gig at 17 with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival in “Richard lll,” I took that as a sign to pursue the arts as a professional actor.” 

3. How would your friends describe you? 
Passionate. Loving. Crazy. Soulful. Intelligent. Wild. 

4. How do you like to spend your spare time?
Baking. Writing. Learning how to DJ.  Plotting how to take over the world. 

5. What is your current obsession?
 Creating my own professional, creative lane in this city. 

6. What would people be surprised to find out about you?
 I’ve had the honor of dining with Prime Ministers of the United Nations in Nairobi, Kenya. Good God, the food was incredible! 

7. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life? 
Unexpectedly losing my mom at the age of 24. Until then, I’d taken so much of my life, life in general, for granted. In light of her death, I was forced to choose new Life. 

8. Who do you admire most?
 My friends. Their resilience. Their loyalty. The capacity and magnitude of their hearts. 

9. What is at the top of your bucket list?
 Participation in a traditional ayahuasca ceremony led by an indigenous shaman.  

10. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through, and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward? 

If it weren’t for the pandemic I probably would not have moved back to St. Louis. Sustaining myself creatively was essential in navigating and enduring the uncertainties of the pandemic. In this time I learned patient persistence and the power of the pivot. I created a spoken word album and decided to relocate to St. Louis to restart Soul Siren Playhouse from the ground up, yet did not want to produce theater that required mask mandates. I watched theater become an unidentifiable shadow of itself; actors and audiences in masks, plus various barriers between Art, the Artist and Community. I watched art become increasingly self-serving as a means of survival.

Moving forward I believe that theater’s primary objective should be to entertain, and to be of service to its local community via artistic expression or creative intent (free tickets, child care at shows, pay with a can performances to support food banks, etc). I believe theater can take a greater responsibility in the role of social elevation and enrichment. How can theater meet the needs of audiences and return value as opposed to the self-serving nature of exploitation I commonly see as a detriment. 

11. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
Grocery shop at Soulard Market on Saturday mornings. 

12. What’s next? 
Developing my one-man show, “Death Jam” as an Artist in Residence with the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. 

More About Cameron Jamarr Davis

Age: 33
Birthplace: St. Louis,
Current location: St. Louis
Family: Only Child / Fairy God Cousin / Cool “Uncle” with no kids or siblings 
Education: BFA Dramatic Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM)
Day job: Substitute Teacher, Clayton School District 
First job: Busser/Dishwasher, Outback Steakhouse (age 16) 
First movie you were involved in or made: “Fenced Off” – Rebel Pilgrim Productions in Cincinnati, Ohio
Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” / Leontes + The Bear  in “A Winter’s Tale “/ Kendrick Lamar in Lil Wayne’s “Mona Lisa” 
Dream job/opportunity: Producing Artistic Director of my own theater company 
Awards/Honors/Achievements: 2023 STL Theater Circle Winner (Best supporting actor in a drama for “The African Company Presents Richard lll” at the STL Black Rep), 2024 Artist in Residence of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, 2022 Directing Fellow with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, 2023 Community Arts Training (CAT) Cohort 
Favorite quote/words to live by:
call it our craziness even,
call it anything.
it is the life thing in us
that will not let us die…
it is the light in us
it is the light of us
it is the light…
– Lucille Clifton, “Roots” 
A song that makes you happy: “Built for Greatness” – Marieme 
Marieme is a Soul Siren Playhouse board member and this song is featured as a promo for Michelle Obama’s Netflix special. This song is GREAT and will make anyone feel like they can conquer anything.

Cover photo by Zak Littrell