Congrats are in order to OtB/OntheBoards.tv artist Tommy Smith who just snagged a Lark Fellowship. This grants supports the devlopment of emerging playwrights and comes with some pretty sweet benefits.

It's the easiest thing in the world to talk about how talented Reggie Watts is, so let's just get that out of the way up front: you really get the impression that he can do anything on stage. One of the early vignettes in 'Transition' consists of Watts delivering "an soliloquy" [sic] in the classical style, and not only is the piece hilarious and deft in its send up of the tropes of the genre's writing and performance styles, but it convinces you that Watts could almost certainly step on stage with any Shakespearean company and own the room with integrity.

Likewise with the numerous songs in the show. The lyrics bounce between brilliant and funny (with regular overlap between the two), and have wicked beats and hooks. With just his voice, loop machine and tiny keyboard, Watts can stand-in for a rap super-group, an opera company, a jazz combo, or a worldbeat music festival, and the listener is no worse off for it. Plus, he can dance. And I don't just mean like he can get down - which he can - I mean he is a really excellent mover.

Here's what Seattle Mag editor/writer Brangien Davis had to say about Transition:

In the dance classes I teach, I often spend a lot of time talking about transitions. The way you get from one place to another is often more important than the arrival. The nature of the transition can give deeper meaning and impact to where you came from and where you end up. Without thinking about how you get from one place to another, you are just going through the motions. And what is true for dance is true for life. (Insert smirk right here.)

Reggie Watts and Tommy Smith have created an hour long unapologetic performance experience that strings together one transition moment after another. It is an interesting concept to take on in a time based art form and a ripe opportunity for thwarting audience expectation. From the beginning we are set up to believe one thing will happen, then something else completely unexpected occurs instead. One example of this that I cannot stop laughing about, is a video of Reggie making out with with a super hot girl in a car. The kissing is steamy and as a viewer you are really getting into the whole thing. Who doesn't enjoy watching two hot people making out like they are honestly enjoying themselves? Then bing! The Nabisco logo pops up in the corner and we move on to the next thing.

Tommy Smith sent a couple new pictures from some of the dress rehearsals this week:

There are times I wish I was clever enough to understand the cleverness of other people. I feel this way at times when I witness something I like, but don’t quite fully understand, like Ingmar Bergman... or the Scottish.