The Watts Tower Project

This reviewer could understand very little of this one-man show, recorded before an audience. It seems to be a stream-of-consciousness meditation inspired by the Watts Towers, a tall pair of abstract constructions built improbably in a Los Angeles slum by an Italian immigrant over a 33-year period. The eloquent author-narrator displays considerable performing skill, cultural literacy, and knowledge of current events. He includes autobiography, humor, and essays on racial issues. But transitions from one thread to another confuse. Thought lines seem simultaneously random and canny. Though one feels some humane message is herein embedded, his point, or points, are elusive. I, for one, couldn't follow him, eventually lost interest, and went away feeling stupid for not "getting" it. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine