Chastity Washington wrote, produced and stars in Evening of Expression, a project that has been in the making since she was in college. She smoothly combines humor and darkness through five woman characters to showcase common human experiences. This weekend, she is performing the show, with a stand-up set after, May 16, 24 and 31 at the Interchange Theater Co-Op (628 N. 10th St.).
Evening of Expression was written and directed by you. How did you come up with the idea for the show?
Portions of the show were written back when I was in college. This is a show that I have been crafting for over 20 years. One piece was a final project from when I was finishing my dramatic arts degree. I continued to act and do different workshops and stuff like that and continue to write.
While I was doing this, I was adding things to it. Two years later, I added something else to it. Then three years later, I added three more characters, and a whole other movement to it.
It has progressively grown and changed. The core inspiration was something from my spirit where I felt that these women had different stories, but their common thread was then being able to share that story and that their voices mattered so deeply.
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Did you have any other inspirations that influenced the writing of the script?
Just people I have seen in passing. People I have met, stories that people have told me about their lives and family members, those type of resources. Most of it was just realistically inspired. Some of it had just creatively come from a certain place I cannot even describe to you.
For the overall show, one of my true inspirations as a performer is Whoopi Goldberg and her original one woman show on Broadway. My show is different because it is a full, dramatic five-character piece with five monologues.
Now, I have a portion in there that is a funnier role, but years ago, it was super, super heavy. The stand-up brings audiences back because it’s thought-provoking and really powerful. There’s a little bit of lightness in there now.
You are pulling from real life people and emotions that everybody goes through. Why do you think it is important to highlight these emotions?
So people can know that they are never alone in their experiences, in their struggles and in their triumphs.
This show has evolved over time, with elements of the stories being renovated. For this upcoming performance, how did you end up finalizing the show with only five characters?
This weekend’s performance is this year’s rendition of the show. In previous years, I have done eight characters. Once I brought the show back after I had not produced it since 2022, I got a chance to produce it at The Crucible with Sasha Rosser, the founder of Cheshire Cat production company.
We produced it in Madison. I said, I want to make some adjustments and make some changes. Once I brought the show back and did it at Interchange this last November of 2024.
I wanted to write a fresh new character, give it a new fresh twist, a newer look and a different feel. I changed the structure of the show, moved some characters around and added more. I liked how it felt. I said, this is good. We will keep it right here for right now. The original show started at four and then progressed to eight and now it is at five.
Will the stand-up performance taking place after discuss the topics of the show?
No, the stand-up would be about my perspective and such. If people have questions or something like that, we can always circle back while we do this series here at Interchange.
The standup is my perspective. It is about day-to-day life, stories and operations.
What is your favorite part about stand-up?
Ah, the joy that it gives.
What do you hope people take away with them after watching the performance?
I hope that they are enlightened. I hope that it changes hearts. The reason I say that is sometimes we have to see something. that will give us a different perspective, a sense of empathy, a sense of compassion. Then, also walk away with the joy from the stand-up.
Tickets for Evening of Expression are available on Interchange Theater Co-Op’s website.
