Review: Water by Kacie Michelle Devaney – United Solo Festival

By, Isabel Zamaroni

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Based in New York City’s Theatre Row, the United Solo Festival is the largest celebration of solo performance in the world. On November 9th, I had the pleasure of attending Water, a captivating piece written and performed by Kacie Michelle Devaney. What struck me immediately was the seamlessness with which each character emerged. Waters’ hilarious premise, a playwright who confuses her performance dates and has not finished the piece quite yet, belies the meaty material that is yet to come. This persuasive framing device allows eight distinctive figures to come alive, each with a vivid, thought-provoking story. Water is not only a brilliantly crafted solo work—it is impeccably executed. Devaney proves herself a skilled playwright and a fearless actress unafraid to tackle complex characters and challenging content.

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The piece weaves together personalities drawn from both history and fiction. Winston Churchill and his daughter, Diana, were among the first to appear onstage. Devaney’s portrayals were eerily precise, conveyed through accent, physicality, and minimal but effective props. Diana Churchill—about whom I knew little beforehand—was one of the evening’s many standout depictions. Devaney shifted fluidly from the flamboyant energy of Winston to the self-deprecating vulnerability of Diana, revealing through poignant dialogue the pressures and frustrations she endured as a woman with a sharp mind in the 1940s and 50s. Diana’s confession of why she ultimately took her own life in 1963 was chilling, humane, and deeply affecting.

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From there, a cascade of characters spilled across the stage—hilarious, engaging, and heartbreaking by turns. We meet Georgina, a former actress of stage and screen, caught in a rainstorm that mirrors the play’s motif of water. She recounts her early career and the painful unraveling of her marriage after the birth of her stillborn son. With lines like, “I’m an actress—we’re dramatic—but you already knew that,” Georgina elicits laughter, only to lead the audience gently into the grief of a mother longing to see her child’s face again. She made me laugh, then she made me cry.

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Other memorable figures include Sara-Anne, a Southern aspiring screenwriter pitching her script to Harley, a sleazy Hollywood producer. Their meeting—set in a restaurant where Harley nearly chokes to death because he refuses to drink anything but Evian—is comedic brilliance.

 

Devaney then pivots effortlessly into Etienne, a swaggering Frenchman explaining how his country perfected the art of love. With his spread-eagle stance, signature scarf, and dangling cigarette, Etienne had the audience in stitches.

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Antoinette, another indelible character, recounts the life of a renowned French forger during World War II. Devaney’s accent work, as in every segment, is impeccable. Within Antoinette’s story is a devastating monologue in which she becomes Felicity, one of the children she failed to save from the Nazis. As Devaney collapses to her knees, portraying a five-year-old separated from her mother during the Vel d’Hiv roundup, the distant clatter of trains underscores the moment. The audience sat in absolute stillness—utterly absorbed in this powerful sequence that helped make Water such a riveting success.

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The final character, Julie, is an Italian American woman from New York whose dementia is revealed only gradually. Before the truth of her condition emerges, she dances joyfully to Chubby Checker and reminisces about meeting Jimmy, her granddaughter’s grandfather. Julie’s story grips you by the heart, offering a tender, immersive glimpse into a mind unraveling.

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The complexity of Water’s characters is enhanced by original music and movement. Devaney is a multi-talented performer—actor, singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, and playwright—and Water showcases the full breadth of her artistry. The sold-out audience rose to its feet in a well-deserved standing ovation. Water was directed by Karen Devaney founder of Soapbox Stageworks in Carmel California.

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My only regret was that when the piece ended, I wanted more. I hope Devaney stages Water again soon. When she does, I will be there ready for another glass of Water.

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For more information about Kacie Devaney's work go to https://www.kaciekreation.com/ 

For more information about Soapbox Stageworks go to

https://www.soapboxstageworks.org/