Milwaukee’s Renaissance Theater offers a powerhouse of a play in the one-woman show, Neat. Respected playwright Charlayne Woodard takes the audience on an autobiographical journey that ranges from Savannah to Albany, NY. Savannah, Georgia, is the home town of her favorite aunt, nicknamed “Neat.”
The play made an impressive debut at the Manhattan Theater Club in 1997, with Charlayne Woodard playing herself. In the Milwaukee premiere, the character of Charlayne is played by talented actor Marti Gobel, who is also a founder of UPROOTED [sic] Theater. In the course of two hours, Gobel morphs among more than 20 characters, both male and female. Her only prop is a bright red chair, which is put to good use throughout.
As Gobel first appears onstage, she is carrying one red rose. She sings, “If I had the wings of a dove.” At the song’s conclusion, she places the rose onstage. It remains there for the duration of the show.
But Neat is no eulogy for Woodard’s favorite aunt. It is a storyteller’s dream that begins with the unfortunate incident that marked Neat’s life forever. After being accidentally poisoned as an infant, Neat is rushed to the closest hospital. Neat’s mother carries her sick baby on foot the entire distance. However, doctors at the “whites only” hospital refuse to treat the baby. They mention a more “appropriate” hospital on the other side of town. Gobel’s pleading for her daughter’s life is remarkably moving. By the time she reaches the other hospital, Neat is severely brain-damaged.
Neat wasn’t the only one influenced by the accident. It had a profound effect on the entire family, especially her niece, Charlayne. At first, this childlike adult captivates a young Charlayne. However, the effect fades over time. When Neat and her mother come to live with Charlayne and her family in Albany, NY, the news is not welcome. A now-adolescent Charlayne looks at Neat’s traveling outfit with distain. “She looks so ‘country,’” Charlayne thinks. However, Neat is thrilled to be back with her nieces again. She always draws out her niece’s name, calling her “Charlaaayne.”
In time, Charlayne begins to appreciate her brain-damaged aunt for the wonderful person she is. Neat is sweet and innocent, but also mischievous and questioning. In fact, it is Neat’s gentle probing about African culture that sparks a streak of black pride in Charlayne. When Charlayne begins studying African-American history, she learns that “slavery lasted for three generations, not three pages in a textbook.” As Charlayne matures, her coming-of-age story is funny, profound, dangerous and thrilling.
The play’s rich, storytelling mode reminds one of another one-woman show, The Syringa Tree. It was so popular in Milwaukee that two different theater companies offered it in subsequent seasons. Both productions featured the same actor, Colleen Madden. It also traveled to another theater company (American Players Theater) located near Madison, Wisconsin. Again, Madden played the parts.
Gobel’s performance has much the same effect on an audience. She can swagger like a cool young dude on a date, or open her eyes wide enough to represent a girl’s childlike surprise. The play begins in 1943, when a summer popsicle by day and shooting stars at night was “about the best life could be.”
The troubling subject of racism -- as experienced by Charlayne’s family and their community -- is one running theme in the play. However, the stories are mostly upbeat.
Director Suzan Fete keeps the pacing on a steady course throughout. She gives “Neat” the breathing room it deserves. Although the play’s ending is somewhat pat, hints of it are carefully planted in earlier scenes.
Overall, the play’s emphasis on diversity – how those who are “different” can affect the lives of those around them – is inspiring. Playgoers should make a New Year’s resolution to see this production before it closes on February 5, 2012.
