Wellington Oracle

review by Gilda Furgiuele

We can all relate to the bittersweet awkwardness of puberty. The drama that ensues from the hormonal rollercoaster of being not quite a teen is the inspiration for I, Claudia, the first play in the GCTC’s 2008-09 “Stages” season.

The one woman show, starring Lisa Repo-Martell, gives the audience insight into the life and times of Claudia, a twelve (and three-quarters) year old girl about to graduate from elementary school. Exploring the stage with extravagant motion, she recounts an emotional struggle, dealing with puberty, unpopularity, and divorce.

As Claudia suffers so do the characters that surround her, the janitor, her grandfather and even her new step-mother; yet, through their pain together they all find hope for the future. Repo-Martell dons various masks to acts out these influential characters in Claudia’s life. The school janitor, who lovingly keeps watch over Claudia’s odd possessions, is the voice of wisdom that comes from the pain endured from separation from his home, family, and passions. Claudia’s grandfather suffers from the loss of his wife and by his endurance offers Claudia a way through her difficult coming of age. Leslie, Claudia’s nemesis and new step-mother, suffers from a past of emotional bullying. No matter how bad things might be for Claudia and the company she keeps there is this sense of optimism brought on by humour and wit.

Kristen Thomson, the author of the play, was partially inspired by the Robert Graves novel I, Claudius, an imagined autobiography of the fourth Emperor of Rome. Claudius was kept out of the public sphere by his relatives due to ticks, stammers, and a limp that made him appear developmentally disabled. The novel uses these traits to develop a sympathetic character that survives on the basis that he is assumed by his enemies as a harmless idiot, just as Claudia’s quirks and eccentricities isolate her from family and schoolmates. The adoption of masks in I, Claudia was also inspired by the Romans through their inclusion of masks in theatre to distinguish multiple characters played by one actor.

I,Claudia is irrepressibly charming, endearing, and funny. Repo-Martell’s wonderful portrayal brings to life a whimsical characterization the memories of an awkward youth. In Claudia we find a young girl filled with turmoil and conflict yet liveliness, and enthusiasm. Thomson offers a fresh take on an old character that is smart and admirable. Employing the analogy of the caterpillar-which-turns-into-the-butterfly, we see each character go through a transformative experience. While these characters come through the process scared, broken, and bruised, they remain hopeful. In lesser hands such an outcome would feel like a cliché, but the freshness of the script and the craft of Repo-Martell give conviction to this coming-of-age story.

In partnership with the production, the adjoining Fritzi Gallery is featuring works from Alex McMahon, an 18 year old abstract artist whose work reflects the different masks we all wear throughout our stages in life. Beautifully textured and coloured, McMahon is particularly successful at representing the emotional content of the “awkward age”

I, Claudia runs until September 28^th, 2008 at the mainstage of GCTC at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre.