Susan Kelechi Watson Engages Audiences with Provocative Theater Performances

It is early October, and Susan Kelechi Watson emerges from her dressing room at Lincoln Center, taking a brief pause from rehearsals for “The Blood Quilt,” which is set to begin preview performances on October 30. Watson reflects on her location, remarking, “The Juilliard School is in front of me and Lincoln Center’s at my back. This is probably as New York theater as it gets.”

Later, Watson transitions to a performance at New York’s iconic Off-Broadway venue, the Public Theater, where she stars in “Good Bones.” This production, penned by playwright and Pulitzer recipient James Ijames, recently celebrated its opening night.

Watson shares her enthusiasm, “Opening night was so electric. We all just felt really good about where we got the play to.” She notes the collaborative and evolving nature of the production, adding, “James was rewriting as we were doing the show, so it wasn’t set; it was in a way sort of a workshop. Audiences have received it so well, and people are really enjoying this play and excited to converse about it afterwards.”

In “Good Bones,” Watson portrays Aisha, an ambitious woman who returns to her childhood neighborhood with her wealthy husband to start a family and renovate a historic home. This endeavor leads to a conflict with a local contractor over development plans that threaten to displace community members, prompting a wider discussion of “progress.”

Directed by Saheem Ali, known for his Tony-nominated “Fat Ham” and “Merry Wives” at the Public Theater, “Good Bones” explores themes of gentrification through an all-Black cast. Watson expresses her interest, saying, “The idea of gentrification for me is very intriguing, because I’ve lived through that in so many different cities that I’ve lived in.”

Following “Good Bones,” Watson will appear in “The Blood Quilt,” portraying one of four sisters who gather at their childhood Georgia home after their mother’s death. Watson notes the contrast between her roles in these two productions, emphasizing her desire for diverse character portrayals, “You’re probably not going to catch me at any point in my career doing the same thing, or same type of character that I did the last time. And this felt like a real shift, and so to be able to do them both back to back like that — it’s dreamy.”

Apart from her stage performances, Watson has recently completed filming for the upcoming miniseries “The Residence,” a murder mystery comedy set within the White House, featuring a cast that includes Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Reflecting on her projects moving forward, Watson states, “I kind of set pace for myself every year, and I go, ‘I would love to do X amount of films, a limited series, a play’ — I want to do all three all throughout my career.” Originally from Brooklyn and an NYU Tisch MFA program alumna, Watson continues to explore diverse opportunities in her artistic endeavors.