Impressions of NEAT After First Read-Through
December 15, 2011By Judy Steininger, Renaissance Theaterworks Board Member
Great literature does at least two things for us: teach us something new and remind us of those things we know about ourselves and others. Through it we learn to respect people’s positive differences and realize how much more we are alike than different.
RTW’s new production of NEAT does all these. Yes, Charlayne and her Aunt Neat come from Georgia and live in Albany, NY when we meet them-places none of us has probably lived. So, we learn about each of their trials and tribulations at a critical time in America’s history, the 1960’s.
In the family scenes, we see our own-we’re not very different in this regard. We hear our own father when Charlayne’s admonishes her; we know the grandmother like the back of our hand; we listen to one generation talking to another and smile-been there! Some of the biggest laughs come from the high school dating scenes. Why? We’ve been in those situations or pretty darn close.
Marti Gobel carries this strenuous one woman play with the strength of her amazing voice(s). Don’t miss her.