I am not always a fan of one person shows, but Charlayne Woodard's, warm, exquisitely written "The Night Watcher" has changed my mind. A tour de force acting piece, that has the audience failing in love with her, is a stark honest look over the decision not to be a mother but an "auntie". Some people are not meant to be mothers and Charlayne without pretense states she is not. The Children who are lucky enough to get Charlayne as confessor, advocate and friend, were blessed. They got the best of both worlds, a mother to always be there and an "Auntie" to go to when things became unbearable. Through "The Nghtwatcher" we meet 14-year old Indira who while clutching a stuffed animal confesses she is pregnant. 16-year old Benemarie, is illiterate, motherless girl who on the verge of womanhood. She is sent from Brooklyn to Florida to have her other aunt's husband come onto her and when it is found out is beaten-up. Through Nala,her terrified nephew we learn the meaning of the title of the play and how significant it is, for should we not be the watchers for those who are the most vulnerable and innocent? Though this play touches on subjects that are for the most part painful, Charlayne is a mother, to one Atticus Finch, a Maltese to whom she buys a chocolate shearling coat, while her mother is besides herself on the phone. Director Daniel Sullivan's understands the work and the aura of Charlayne and clears the way of all pretense. This is Ms Woodard's forth solo play and I would now love to see the other three. During the course of the play Charlayne's husband Harris is her rock. By the end of the play my guest turned to me and said "we should all have a Harris." My response to that is all children should have a Auntie Charlayne." You can see this insightful work at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th St. until October 31st. This is a play that will move you and that is a F.A.C.T.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
C: Is for Charlayne
I am not always a fan of one person shows, but Charlayne Woodard's, warm, exquisitely written "The Night Watcher" has changed my mind. A tour de force acting piece, that has the audience failing in love with her, is a stark honest look over the decision not to be a mother but an "auntie". Some people are not meant to be mothers and Charlayne without pretense states she is not. The Children who are lucky enough to get Charlayne as confessor, advocate and friend, were blessed. They got the best of both worlds, a mother to always be there and an "Auntie" to go to when things became unbearable. Through "The Nghtwatcher" we meet 14-year old Indira who while clutching a stuffed animal confesses she is pregnant. 16-year old Benemarie, is illiterate, motherless girl who on the verge of womanhood. She is sent from Brooklyn to Florida to have her other aunt's husband come onto her and when it is found out is beaten-up. Through Nala,her terrified nephew we learn the meaning of the title of the play and how significant it is, for should we not be the watchers for those who are the most vulnerable and innocent? Though this play touches on subjects that are for the most part painful, Charlayne is a mother, to one Atticus Finch, a Maltese to whom she buys a chocolate shearling coat, while her mother is besides herself on the phone. Director Daniel Sullivan's understands the work and the aura of Charlayne and clears the way of all pretense. This is Ms Woodard's forth solo play and I would now love to see the other three. During the course of the play Charlayne's husband Harris is her rock. By the end of the play my guest turned to me and said "we should all have a Harris." My response to that is all children should have a Auntie Charlayne." You can see this insightful work at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th St. until October 31st. This is a play that will move you and that is a F.A.C.T.
A: Is for acting and plays that ask you why?
Below the Belt, is described as Richard Dresser's "comedy" about soulless workers. Here in lies the problem. It is neither a comedy nor or all the characters soulless. This thankless play receives an Off-Off-Broadway revival by The Rock Garden a troupe that employs a lengthy rehearsal process. The idea for the play is interesting. Three men try to survive their pathetic jobs and lives on an isolated industrial compound somewhere in the middle of a vast foreign desert. A river, that runs through the compound is used as a metaphor for society, the goings on between the three men and the destruction that is inevitable. Larry Preston directs, as well as plays Merkin, the sadistic boss who uses his workers as pawns because he is so stuck in his own life. Chad Brigockas as Hanrahan is perfect as the consciousness of man. He pulls off the cynical questioning put to the innocent Dobbitt (Ara Shehigian) as well as the need of human understanding later on. What the play does show is the layers of existence. Everything and everybody is not what it seems. The Bruce Jay Friedman play "Steambath" is brought to mind here. It is verbal gymnasts for all three of the actors, as they grope for a human connection. When Hanrahan is thanked, he demands to know why, as the connection never exists. What do honesty and friendship mean? And freedom? And truth? ''Truth is the last nail in your coffin,'' states Hanrahan. ''Lying is the one thing that can save him,'' declares, Merkin, to Hanrahan. Everything here is abstract, absurdism, that contrasts entrapment. By the end of the play it is still the same and life goes on and on and on. This is not a play for the suicidal.
All three actors are members of The Rock Garden and spent a year working on this. The acting is wonderfully executed but by the end of the play, all I could think of was why this play? Why a year?
Performances play the Access Theater, 380 Broadway (at White Street in Tribeca, three blocks below Canal) from — Oct. 1-25 in Manhattan and for $18 you can see acting done by a troupe that has a lot to offer and that is a F.A.C.T.
Monday, October 5, 2009
F: Is for food any time
It is hard to find a great waffle in New York until now, thanks to a traveling truck. These waffles taste, just like the ones in Belgium! Their add-ons -- nutella and pulled pork! -- are great, although the waffles are delicious by themselves. Wafels & Dinges charges $5 for a waffle. The first dinges (Belgian for topping) is free, the second is $1. A scoop of ice cream is $2. Wafels & Dinges, the brainchild of Thomas DeGeest, in a bright yellow truck. The truck sells Brussels and Liège wafels, each $5. Personally, I recommend the Liège. It’s smaller and sweeter. Turn it into a brochette, or top it with the amazing spekuloos spread which tastes kind of like Graham Crackers mushed up with butter, and you have a dessert that’s worth risking your diet for. There are lots of other yummy dinges, too. I love the bacon wafel. If you really want to waffle out, pay $7 and you get an unlimited pile of dinges creating a WMD, a Wafel of Massive Deliciousness. Sweetly, the truck sells beverages to wash down these concoctions including hot Belgian cocoa and iced coffee. To find the food meant for the Gods check out their schedule.
Mondays:
8am - 4pm: Broadway and 116th Street (at Columbia University)
4pm - 10pm: Broadway and 62nd Street (near Movie Theater)
Tuesday:
8am - 5pm: Hudson Street between King and W. Houston
6pm - 10pm: Greenwich Street, between Duane and Jay Street
Wednesday:
8am - 4pm: 52nd Street between 6th and 7th Aves
4pm - 10pm: 86th between 2nd and 3rd, in front of the Sovereign Bank
Thursday:
8am - 4pm: 45th Street at NW corner with 6th Ave
4pm - 10pm: 7th Ave, near Christopher Street (West side of 7th St.)
Friday:
8am - 2pm: 47th between 2nd and 3rd (near 3rd)
5pm - 10pm: 7th Ave, near Christopher Street (West side of 7th St.)
Saturday
9am - 5pm: Park Slope - 7th Ave and Carroll Street
6pm - 10pm: 7th Ave, near Christopher Street (West side of 7th St.)
Sunday
9am - 10pm: 86th Street between 2nd and 3rd
Now this is something to check out and that is a F.A.C.T.