Bushnell Review

I enjoyed Warriors Don’t Cry. It was a remarkable story portrayed by a talented actress. The lead actress was very good at switching between characters, but sometimes it did get a little confusing.  However, there were a couple issues with the execution of the show. Some of the lighting was very distracting, and there were a few slip ups with lines that were a little disruptive to the flow of the story. Despite these technical issues, I still really liked the show and thought it was well done.

One of the most difficult aspects of a one-person show is portraying different characters in one body. An actor has to change voice and posture, and somehow keep all stories in their head. Some of the parts this actress played really stood out: Melba, her grandmother, and Danny, the guard. Young Melba was very easy to identify - she stood up, even leaned her body out to audience as she spoke in a higher, girly voice. For grandma, she bent over and spoke with a cracked voice. Danny stood very straight up and had a deep voice. Some other identifiable characters included her mom and the white folk heckling her, however they stood out much less. Overall, her character work was very impressive.

The set of the show was very simple, with black curtains, and a wooden table and bench. This simple set allowed her to let our imaginations transform the furniture. She used the bench, for example, as a car and a desk. However, the lighting was distracting. Two “windows” were shined onto the black curtain, and they were uneven and unnecessary. It may seem like a small thing, but it did not add anything to the set and took my attention away from the story.

At the end of the show, the actress informed us she has been playing Melba for four years. This was kind of surprising, as there were a few line slip-ups. I know every actor has an off day, and it really was not bad considering the amount of memorization that must have gone into that show. Unfortunately, since it was a one woman show, this mistakes became very visible and could not be hidden behind another actor.