At Artswest in the West Seattle Junction on the night of August 5th, Here There Be Dragons lit up the stage. The small theatre was the perfect setting for actor and writer’s, Felicia Loud, to take on her one-woman show. The intimate space made the piece feel like a conversation with an old friend.
One could tell that’s precisely what Loud wanted as she opened the show with “September” by Earth, Wind, & Fire and worked the stage and the perimeter around it, encouraging audience participation. Not a whole lot happened in the 90-minute no-intermission show, and while that might seem like an insult for more traditional shows, that certainly isn’t the case here. Though not much happened, and there was virtually no set—just a table and a few instruments—the show was never dull. Even the word “show” doesn’t feel quite right as it was more of a soul and hip-hop-inspired seminar.
In what felt like a memoir come to life, action, and plot were replaced with music and anecdotes of growing up as a black girl in a post-assassinated-Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Seattle. Loud explored the ideas of community, self-love, romantic love, and motherhood without ever boring the audience. Some topics could have benefited from some expansion because they were just that interesting. The problem with touching on a bit of everything the way Loud does is that nothing is explored to its full potential. But honestly, this is a minor quibble.
A significant portion of the show’s entertainment factor can be attributed to the musical numbers. Loud’s singing voice was the show’s true star, eliciting goosebumps from the audience. But the chemistry she and her band members, Greg Fields and Cydney Johnson, had was delightful to watch.
In a Seattle that is swiftly losing its black community and stories Here There Be Dragons is one that should be seen before it finishes its run.
Here There Be Dragons, by Felicia Loud. Artswest 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116. Box Office: (206) 938-0339. Running until August 14th at 3pm. Tickets*: https://artswest.secure.force.com/ticket#/ For more information visit: https://www.artswest.org/theatre-plays/here-there-be-dragons/
*Tickets can also be bought to stream a recorded version of the show