Review: The Night Watcher
Charlayne Woodard, The Blue Collar Actor.
The Night Watcher is a one woman show acted by Ms.Charlayne Woodard but it is also written by Ms. Woodard and directed by the former Artistic Director to the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Daniel Sullivan. The play runs from September 25 to October 1, 2008. I had the enjoyable treat of seeing this wonderful performance this past week.
I am usually not a fan of solo productions but with The Night Watcher, I had a change of mind. This one woman show is about Ms. Woodard’s family and friends and how life is inter-weaved. She is able to bring to life a number of characters, that are so believable that at the end of the stories the stage is overflowing. Her stories range from talking about her role as Godmother to several children, to a tale about her dog, to the influence of her favorite aunts. Ms. Woodard never strikes a false note or move.
Nola, Benmarie, Africa; these are just a few of the children that Ms. Woodard brings to us. This is an actor, blue collar as she calls herself, who is just magic to watch on stage. She tells her stories about people in life that can make you burst with laughter and then with the next story she is crying and so are you. Her energy is amazing. She dances, she sings, she stalks across the stage as she presents her stories to us. A wonderful story is in the second act about going to a shop in LA called Puppies & Babies to buy her dog a winter coat costing one hundred and fifty dollars.
The set is merely a chair in the middle of the stage with a set of blinds. Basic, but it works well for this production. With lighting to set the mood in one instance, the blinds are used to show a house in the background as the actor is telling about bringing her niece to her house in LA. Everything is tied together. At the end of the production, the blinds reveal a montage that brings her whole life into perspective.
The only downside to this show…I could have spent even more time with the actor and her stories.
The Night Watcher shows through October 26, 2008 at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. Tickets to The Night Watcher start at just $15. Anyone 25 and under may purchase tickets for only $10 for any performance (with ID – call for details). For more info visit www.seattlerep.org.
Ethel W.
