Renaissance Theaterworks continues its three-year “Diversity Series” with an impressive production of Charlayne Woodard's autobiographical show, <em>Neat</em>. The one-woman show, featuring the diverse talents of Uprooted Theatre co-founder Marti Gobel, follows the 20th-century African-American experience through Woodard's life and that of her developmentally challenged aunt, Neat.<br /><br />Tackling a feature show as a solo act is a fine art. Gobel focuses more on storytelling than dazzling characterizationsa shrewd way to handle this challenge. When playing multiple characters, as Gobel does here, it's easy to over-render the performance of each character, thus bogging down the flow of the story. But Gobel understands that the flow is crucial for the rhythm of a story that finds its narrator moving briskly from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. We see a child grow to understand her cultural heritage and learn an awareness of civil rights and feminism in this breathtaking show.<br /><br />All of the progress and change in the narrator's life is contrasted against the eternal youth of Neat. The latter half of the 20th century was a tumultuous time. The mystery of Neat's pregnancy serves as a striking metaphor for the unknown as society progresses into the future. It's a beautiful progression that Gobel gracefully glides through. Thanks to her performance, it's a show that feels entirely too short.<br /><br />Renaissance Theaterworks' production of <em>Neat </em>runs through Feb. 5 at the Broadway Theatre Center's Studio Theatre. For ticket reservations, call 414-291-7800.
