There is something about an empty stage before the performance begins. An expectation, mystery. And so it was at Metta Theatre last night as the audience waited for the performance of "King Laz" to begin. A one-woman show written and performed by Susana Guillaume, directed by Maura Dhu Studi.
"behind every great man there's a...daughter"
This production is the third in Susana's autobiographical series. I took photos without a flash so they're not crisp, but maybe you will catch the feeling. She shuffles onto the stage as her 94 year old father Lazarus (in real time he will be 98 soon). "Six apples a day" he says.
Within the next hour or so we take a non-linear, woven journey through Susana's life through ages fifteen, age four, middle age; as her parents move through being vital and strong to a frail couple in their 90's living in Nice, France in a tiny apartment that they love. Other characters enter. The nurse, the housekeeper.
She becomes each of those characters at every age and we always believe her. We traverse youth, old age, health and illness, changing times and bodies, determination, joy, fear, hope.
There is one more early performance today at 4 at Metta, and then Susana heads back home to Santa Fe. It's been a treat to see each of her three productions and I look forward to the next chapter.
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