NORA
Antaeus Theatre Company
"It would be churlish not to recommend Cameron Watson's staging of NORA. Jocelyn Towne's performance in the title role is utterly idiosyncratic and internal - as though water is slowly heating somewhere within her abdomen, until it reaches a boiling point. There's no shrieking. No emoting. Rather, a soft-spoken almost muffled Nora, all twitches, as though she's trying to contain the unbridled forces of a world spinning, ever faster, beyond her control... almost agonizing to watch, as it should be. I've never seen a Nora quite like this."
Stage Raw
"Cameron Watson is a marvelous director."
Broadway World
"Watson is a long-proven director with a stellar track record of interpreting classic plays with great imagination and fiercely individual style. Jocelyn Towne is triumphant. It is an astounding performance that very few actors could so perfectly navigate."
Ticket Holders LA
"The details of the production team are an expression of the richness of Ibsen's universe. One thing is for sure. When a troupe of talented artists recreate this play, magic happens and the premise of the story reverberates with as much strength as the slamming of the door."
Glamical
"Returning to Antaeus for the first time since directing 2018's THE LITTLE FOXES, Cameron Watson elicits one richly nuanced performance after another beginning with Towne's captivating, compelling, quicksilver star turn as Nora. Brian Tichnell does stunning work. A pitch-perfect Antaeus Theatre Company revival."
Stage Scene LA
THE SOUND INSIDE
Pasadena Playhouse
Best Theatre of 2023 - Los Angeles Times
"THE SOUND INSIDE thrillingly unfurls like a series of puzzle boxes... Stylishly directed by Cameron Watson... Tells a story but the way it's told -- the structure that keeps uncoiling in novel ways -- is the heart and soul of a drama that asks us to reconsider the line between art and life."
BEST OF 2023 - "Amy Brenneman delivered one of the finest performances of the year. Cameron Watson's suspenseful production, also starring Anders Keith, left its audience captivated."
Charles McNulty - Los Angeles Times
"The director Cameron Watson has made a name for himself, and with this production it is no wonder. The beauty of Cameron's direction is that whatever he did, his hand doesn't show. Fluid and perfectly paced, some moments may take your breath away."
On Stage Los Angeles
"Guided by the elegant yet often minimalist direction of Cameron Watson, a guy who knows how to create mood like no other. Watson's consummate taste and style permeate his ability to connect with the playwright's prose, while both Brenneman and Keith are putty in his hands."
Ticket Holders LA
"Under Cameron Watson's sensitive direction the two actors pass Rapp's narrative back and forth, mining the gold of long, glorious, detailed monologues until the play ends, as beautifully and enigmatically as it began"
Broadway World
"Cameron Watson has directed with pinpoint clarity and permits his actors to live and breathe their dialogue."
Haines His Way
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'RE HAPPY
Rogue Machine Theatre
Best Theatre of 2022 - Los Angeles Times
WINNER - Best Production 2022 - Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award
"This extraordinarily well-acted U.S. premiere is a reminder of what we've been missing while marooned on our sofas during the pandemic. Directed by Cameron Watson with his customary smooth precision. Good theatre, expertly produced. Good theatre that trusts the actors to conjure all the play requires. Spread the word: This Rogue Machine offering is that proverbial needle in the theatrical haystack. A winner!"
BEST OF 2022 - "The unexpected delight of the season. Performed with rigorous honesty and ebullience under the disciplined direction of Cameron Watson."
Charles McNulty - Los Angeles Times
"This production is a combination of an uncommonly well-written play, elegantly timed and staged by the esteemed Cameron Watson, with a strong three-way acting team. It leaves you spent, wondrous and grateful. It is what the theatre does best."
Sylvie Drake - Cultural Daily
"Director Cameron Watson once again proves himself a master at theatrical storytelling while inspiring the best from three of the most talented, charismatic young actors in town."
Stage Scene LA
"An inspired trio of actors directed to emotional precision by Cameron Watson."
Stage and Cinema
"Director Cameron Watson is often lauded for being an 'actor's director,' and he proves it yet again with the superb work he gets from his cast, but he also excels in the staging and pacing of the piece, serving its quicksilver structure with admirable dexterity."
Arts Beat LA
BELOVED
The Road Theatre
"This amazingly acted world premiere, directed with startlingly lucid tension by Cameron Watson... how rare to see a force of nature one would expect on Broadway or the West End."
Stage and Cinema
"The riveting world premiere is a testament to the challenge of creating extraordinary art. Don't miss this chance to see textbook acting and directing at its finest."
Ticket Holders LA
"Directed by Cameron Watson, the play offers a superb vehicle for accomplished actors to showcase their skills."
Stage Raw
"Director Cameron Watson... eliciting five absolutely superb performances from three gifted actors. A suspense-filled stunner that will leave you blown-away and breathless."
Stage Scene LA
"BELOVED is art, at its finest. Unapologetic, difficult, and so visceral and real it's hard to leave it behind. The unfolding is mesmerizing, the performances epic and the deftness of the direction sublime."
NoHo Arts District
STEEL MAGNOLIAS
Actors Co-op Theatre
"Director Cameron Watson stages this superb revival with such talent that it seems seamless and effortless."
Stage Raw
"Cameron Watson's revival at Actors Co-op endearingly demonstrates... even an old-fashioned recipe, when lovingly prepared and seasoned, can taste good. The six women who gather in Truvy's garage hair salon seem like facets of a single soul or roots of one tree."
Los Angeles Times
"One of the best acting ensembles of the past few years. Everything just works. The sound, the music, the props, the hair. It all just works."
LA Theatre Bites
"Skillful director Cameron Watson manages to take the everyday and make it humorous and poignant at the same time. His swift pace keeps the laughter flowing - sometimes with a few tears in between."
Splash Magazine
"WOW! Actors Co-op blesses STEEL MAGNOLIAS with a director, the inestimable Cameron Watson, whose Tennessee roots make him an ideal choice to guide six crackerjack leading ladies in shaping authentic, caricature-defying women."
Stage Scene LA
"A bunch of fresh, top-notch talents make for an exquisite bouquet of STEEL MAGNOLIAS, smoothly and expertly helmed by director Cameron Watson."
Broadway World
THE LITTLE FOXES
Antaeus Theatre Company
CRITIC'S CHOICE - "A bracing revival. Cameron Watson's luscious and gripping production... Watson, one of LA's busiest intimate-theatre directors, has a particular skill for calibrating the emotional clockwork of a group scene. His actors know what to do, where to look, how to react at every moment, so they're just as entertaining in the background as they are at center stage."
Los Angeles Times
"A splendid rendering. The drama is staged with a sure hand and great finesse by director Cameron Watson, who wisely allows Hellman's incisive scenario, dialogue, and fascinatingly malicious characters to confront the audience unvarnished. He choreographs the action seamlessly and elicits uniformly excellent performances from his cast."
Stage Raw
"A stunning, stunning mounting. Helmed with much precision by director Cameron Watson. The fastest, entertaining three-acts you will ever sit through."
Broadway World
"A sterling revival to be remembered for years to come. Cameron Watson has directed the piece as if it were a malevolent concert."
Haines His Way
"A gorgeously appointed revival. The uncanny eye of Cameron Watson leads a stellar cast to conjure the Hubbard's home and lifelstyle - and prefumed evildoing - with consummate skill."
Ticket Holders LA
Director Cameron Watson gets stellar performances across the board from his cast and paces the show with skill."
Talkin' Broadway
"In a superb display of theatrical art, keenly directed by Cameron Watson, a uniformly brilliant cast delivers an utterly absorbing, high-tension depiction of a family rife with greed."
Theatre Notes
WOW! - "Revived to absolute perfection. With the always inspired Cameron Watson directing for Antaeus, performances are as cutting edge as you would see in a 2018 World Premiere."
Stage Scene LA
BLED FOR THE HOUSEHOLD TRUTH
Rogue Machine Theatre
"Cameron Watson directs with his characteristic attention to emotional truth, and he's particularly deft at staging the scenes in which Pen and Keith come close to connecting."
Los Angeles Times
GO! "Directed with a deft, discerning hand by Cameron Watson."
LA Weekly
"Director Cameron Watson gets fine work from his ensemble."
Stage Raw
"Director Cameron Watson handles the material with great precision."
Edge
STUPID KID
The Road Theatre - World Premiere
"Director Cameron Watson deftly handles the play's split-second mood flips and proves especially masterful at knowing when to let the heated voices go suddenly quiet."
Los Angeles Times
"Directed with ferocious familial focus by Cameron Watson."
Tolucan Times
"Under the masterful leadership of Cameron Watson, it is simply the best production so far opening in LA this season."
Ticket Holders LA
"Cameron Watson's production is a stunner!"
Curtain Up Los Angeles
WOW! "Directed by Cameron Watson at his most masterful."
Stage Scene LA
"Cameron Watson's laser focused direction keeps the cast solidly in their characters and moves the action along through the quiet as well as the tempestuous moments."
Haines His Way
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
Antaeus Theatre Company
CRITIC'S CHOICE - "A revival that raises the roof. Intimate, sultry, funny and moving. Watson has a knack for allowing his actors to shine. He doesn't allow his 'Cat' to ride on the unveiling of a no-longer-shocking secret. Instead, he focuses on the psychological ramifications of Brick's sexuality for the other characters and how they use it to advance their own agendas.This 'Cat' still smolders."
Los Angeles Times
"Director Cameron Watson has pulled out all the humanity, passion and grit from this work leaving behind anything that feels hackneyed or stale. With Watson's vision of all the sensory elements and the intriguing take on the characters, it's a piece of theatre fit for contemporary audiences."
Tin Pan LA
"What could be a better choice to inaugurate the new two-theatre complex than Tennessee Williams' masterwork, 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," especially when directed by Cameron Watson. Amazing. Hats off to a brilliant director. It's a humbling honor to see such fine work unfold live right before one's eyes."
Arts in LA
RECOMMENDED - TOP TEN "Director Cameron Watson's taut production tamps down the lurid subtext... instead, he opts for a dynamic staging that's brittle and powerful."
Stage Raw
"Williams' blistering material of sexual and social politics is brought to vivid life by a masterful director and a talented cast."
Edge
"Director Cameron Watson deftly manages to get his talented cast to release all their big emotions but still maintain their humanity, and at times even their comic sensibility."
Haines His Way
"Director Cameron Watson, producing theatrical magic yet again."
Stage and Cinema
THE SUPER VARIETY MATCH BONUS ROUND!
Rogue Machine Theatre - World Premiere
"Cameron Watson directs with an eye for revealing the depths beneath the frequent laughs."
Showmag
"Dazzling. A lively world premiere staging by Cameron Watson. Amusing and ingenious."
Los Angeles Times
"Director Cameron Watson has a ball weaving fantasy and reality into a go-to production."
LA Splash
WOW! - "Director Cameron Watson, running with the opportunity to do something out of the ordinary, will have you laughing out loud, wiping away tears and standing up to cheer."
Stage Scene LA
"Under the keen direction of Cameron Watson, it is a delicious, fast-paced comedy with a soft, touching heart that comes full circle to a very satisfying conclusion."
Theatre Notes
DREAM CATCHER
The Fountain Theatre - World Premiere
"Cameron Watson's visceral, hot-blooded staging strikingly realized in Jeff McLaughlin's immersive scenic design. The lovers are locked in a clash as heated as their passion."
Los Angeles Times
"Masterly directed by Los Angeles treasure Cameron Watson."
Neon Tommy
"An intense, spirited war of words... powered by the intensity of its two strong performers." Broadway World
WOW! - "Now electrifying audiences in its world premiere. Expect to be on the edge of your seat from start to finish!"
Stage Scene LA
"Two amazingly courageous actors. A theatrical match made in heaven."
Arts in LA
"Director Cameron Watson has cast it splendidly... the audience surrounds the action, keeping it firmly in your face. A thrilling evening of theatre!"
Edge
PICNIC
Antaeus Theatre Company
CRITIC'S CHOICE - "Poetic realism, wry humor and a surging erotic charge. Director Cameron Watson locates subtle grace notes and spatial placements that quietly illuminate the characters' motivation."
Los Angeles Times
"Cameron Watson has mounted an exquisite production in which every detail is richly penciled in." Cultural Weekly
"Sumptuous and scintillating! A stunning production at Antaeus directed ever so lovingly by Cameron Watson and boasting a superlative ensemble."
Broadway World
WOW! - "Pitch perfect... truly inspired direction... must be seen if you love great theatre."
Stage Scene LA
"In its shimmering revival of William Inge's PICNIC the classics-focused Antaeus Theatre Company serves up a theatrical feast. A gorgeously designed production under the finely nuanced direction of Cameron Watson."
Edge
FIVE STARS - "As close to a must-see show as there can be. Compelling. Moving. Massive kudos."
Examiner.com
RECOMMENDED - TOP TEN - "Canny. Ripe with longing. Fresh. Like a train steaming across the prairie."
Stage Raw
"Expert and streamlined. Cameron Watson directs his talented cast withput any extraneous beats, moments or gestures. Every little detail quite essential and integral to Inge's tale."
Broadway World
"The entire cast is faultless. The production is so well presented it's not like you enter a theatre to see a play but rather you take a ride in a time machine back to small town Kansas in 1952."
Haines His Way
"The miraculous Cameron Watson... directs as if re-creating a painting by an old master. This return to the colorlessly inward-looking world is a glorious success."
Arts in LA
COCK
Rogue Machine Theatre
GO - "Director Cameron Watson underscores this eternal dance of attraction and repulsion beautifully by putting the focus on the sweep of the physical motion and words, where the action enhances the dialogue. There's truth to be found in all of it."
LA Weekly
"Cameron Watson's brilliant production at Rogue Machine Theatre is a searing and shockingly funny piece of theatre. What makes it such a distinct and fascinating piece is the masterful direction."
Neon Tommy
WOW! - "This is one cock no lover of exciting LA theatre could possibly refuse."
Stage Scene LA
"All the elements of this Rogue Machine production come perfectly together, as tightly directed by Cameron Watson, making for a totally engrossing 90 minutes."
Broadway World
"Under the masterful direction of Cameron Watson, the audience is kept on the edge of their seats throughout as he meticulously allows the story to unfold in a continuous choreographed dance of emotions. The cast benefits greatly from Mr. Watson's expertise."
Stage and Cinema
TOP GIRLS
Antaeus Theatre Company
CRITIC'S CHOICE - TOP TEN OF 2014 - "Brings us refreshingly back to the basics of great theatre... a director able to concentrate our attention on what matters most. This is the best staging of the play I have encountered. This superb Antaeus production is complicatedly, exasperatingly, shatteringly human."
Los Angeles Times
"An unsurpassable ensemble... laser-sharp coherence under the most-precise direction of Cameron Watson."
The Hollywood Reporter
"Top-notch. Superb. Nothing short of sensational. Not one false move. Cameron Watson's direction is just great. A must see."
Broadway World
"Exceptional. A magnificent achievement. Watson's sturdy yet diaphanous, austere yet elegant leadership... subtly guides the action as though choreographing a timeless ballet."
Arts in LA
THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION
The Colony Theatre
WOW! - "Directed with attention to character and detail by the ever-amazing Cameron Watson."
Stage Scene LA
"In a brisk and light-hearted staging, director Cameron Watson has pulled together a tried-and-true team that is a pure pleasure to watch."
Los Angeles Times
GO - "Director Cameron Watson has marshaled a crackerjack ensemble in this polished production."
LA Weekly
"All four of the actors are perfectly cast and impeccably directed by Cameron Watson."
LA Examiner
CRITIC'S PICK - "Director Cameron Watson drives the message home with skill and panache."
Backstage
ALL MY SONS
The Matrix Theatre Company
GO - "A racially mixed cast, under Cameron Watson's direction, delivers a riveting production of Arthur Miller's tragedy. The acting is top flight, a rare and excellent rendition of the play."
LA Weekly
"Emotionally, this production is a gut-puncher... particularly when approached with as much alertness to nuance as director Cameron Watson and ten intuitive actors bring to this production."
Los Angeles Times
CRITIC'S PICK - "Cameron Watson's direction is pitch-perfect."
Backstage
"Cameron Watson has given new, exciting life to a classic, still devastating play."
Beverly Press
WOW! - "This is an all-around brilliant production, and one not to be missed."
Stage Scene LA
I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER
The New American Theatre
"Director Cameron Watson demonstrates a masterful use of space. There is not one wasted gesture, not one purposeless movement. It is elegantly and expertly staged."
LA Theatre Review
GO - "If the aim of naturalism in theatre is the pitch-perfect rendering of reality, then Cameron Watson's urbane staging of Robert Anderson's drama scores."
LA Weekly
CRITIC'S PICK - "Director Cameron Watson wisely steers the cast to the essential and unvarnished truths of the play, and these magnificent performers take up the challenge with gusto."
Backstage
"Under Cameron Watson's effectively hued direction, Philip Baker Hall gives one of the most truthful and detailed portrayals you're likely to see in this or any other year for that matter."
Show Mag
ON GOLDEN POND
The Colony Theatre
CRITIC'S PICK - "Director Cameron Watson sensitively handles the comedic and melancholic aspects of the story in equal measure. The ensemble and Watson are winners."
Backstage
GO - "The joy of this revival, so ably directed by Cameron Watson, is in its impeccable production values that begins with the casting of the leads. Watching Hal Linden and Christina Pickles is a mini-course in consummate acting."
LA Weekly
"The cast is just sensational under Cameron Watson's gentle direction."
Broadway World
"On-target direction from Cameron Watson and pitch-perfect performances form the entire cast."
Glendale News Press
"Each and every performer, astutely directed by Cameron Watson, makes this a first-class production."
Review Plays
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
"Shakespeare's evergreen comedy is given a freewheeling staging by Mr. Watson. The energetic performances and the natural loveliness of the outdoor setting lend this production considerable appeal."
New York Times
"Director Cameron Watson's vision is excellently realized.
Q on Stage
"Cameron Watson is back and his touch is everywhere."
New Jersey Newsroom
"Cameron Watson puts the cast through their paces in a very fast-moving and physically demanding production. There is more wit and laughter here than in any number of recent Broadway offerings."
Central Jersey.com
"Watson keeps his young and beguiling cast moving fast... their antics are as freshly conceived as is the whimsical setting. Watson's vision is delightfully contemporary."
Curtain Up
GRACE & GLORIE
The Colony Theatre
"A proven pro with sound instincts, Watson understands Southern dialect and material. A prime opportunity to see Beth Grant in rare form."
Los Angeles Times
"Director Cameron Watson brings his award-winning expertise to this wonderful theatrical experience."
Noho Arts District
GO - "Sensitive direction by Cameron Watson and distinguished performances by Beth Grant and Melinda Page Hamilton... transform into genuinely moving theatre."
LA Weekly
WOW! - "A gem of a two-hander superbly helmed by director Cameron Watson"
Stage Scene LA
"An explosion of first-rate theatre. Director Cameron Watson does not allow one miscue."
Burbank Times
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
BEST THEATRE IN THE COUNTRY 2010 - "Impeccably directed by Cameron Watson. Mr. Watson's staging is admirably subtle, though that doesn't stop the members of the audience from laughing uproariously."
Wall Street Journal
"A warmhearted winner... Watson's production reveals a gentle charmer. Watson smoothly paces the action of Dodie Smith's affectionate study of a colorful family."
Variety
"Cameron Watson has directed a fascinating production."
The Independent Press
"Watson uses a low-key approach that lets the characters and material speak for them. That makes matters much funnier."
Star Ledger
"Under the direction of Cameron Watson, the ensemble's grace and wit in performance matches the grace and wit of Dodie Smith's script to create a delightfully smooth and airy confection of a production."
Talkin' Broadway
EDUCATING RITA
The Colony Theatre
"Watson, director of last season's hit TRYING, reverts to the same winning formula in this impressive production. In his handsome and keenly paced staging... Rebecca Mozo and Bjorn Johnson are gifted performers at the top of their game."
Los Angeles Times
GO - "Director Cameron Watson's lovingly staged production couldn't re-emerge at a better time."
LA Weekly
"Witty dialogue delivered by two accomplished actors in director Cameron Watson's slickly polished production."
Backstage
"Directed with expected finesse by Cameron Watson."
Stage Scene LA
TRYING
The Colony Theatre
CRITIC'S CHOICE - "Watson's faultless staging... in every particular, this is an optimum production, the perfect jewel box surrounding Alan Mandell's glittering gem of a performance... one of the five best performances you will see in this lifetime."
Los Angeles Times
"Cameron Watson's solid direction puts the focus squarely on the acting. Watson's direction gets every detail right."
Variety
CRITIC'S PICK - "Cameron Watson's sure direction shows a loving hand."
Backstage
"Cameron Watson's expert direction has our hero rise at the correct time and sit or lie down at the correct time. The combination of crisp direction and two actors who inhabit their roles so beautifully make TRYING succeed magnificently."
Entertainment Today
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE
The El Portal Theatre - American Premiere
CRITIC'S PICK - "Director Cameron Watson has assembled a splendid cast. If there is any justice, I CAPTURE THE CASTLE will become as much of a theatrical staple here as it is in England."
Backstage
"Handled by Cameron Watson with the grace of a ballet."
Review Plays
GO - "Cameron Watson provides deft direction."
LA Weekly
THE HABITATION OF DRAGONS
Actors Co-Op Theatre
CRITIC'S CHOICE - "Director Cameron Watson and a consummately truthful cast never descend to the grand gesture, but tap into the very ordinariness of these characters with emotionally ravaging results."
Los Angeles Times
GO - "Director Cameron Watson welds his sixteen actors into a near perfect ensemble."
LA Weekly
"Director Cameron Watson's staging is surprisingly seamless. Watson and his ensemble deliver the message with precision harmony."
Entertainment Today
ROLLING WITH LAUGHTER
Her Majesty's Theatre - London's West End
El Portal Theatre - World Premiere
"Sensitively directed by Cameron Watson who successfully balances Natasha Wood's impressive acting, talent teasing humor, sarcasm and wit throughout the performance."
British Theatre Guide
CRITIC'S PICK - "Director Cameron Watson relies on light and sound changes, as well as the mobility of Wood's electric wheelchair, to effectively suggest change of time and scenery."
Backstage