I, Claudia
Created by and starring Kristen Thomson
Runs until May 23 @ Young Centre for the Performing Arts
By Daina Valiulis
In this amazing one-woman show, Kristen Thomson returns to play Claudia, a twelve-and-three-quarter-year-old misfit who struggles with growing up and dealing with school and her beloved father’s sudden second marriage. With the raw pain and rage over her parents’ divorce still fresh, Claudia is like a living diary. She comes down to the school’s boiler room, which she has made completely her own, every Tuesday morning to “get control of herself.” Thomson, herself a child of divorced parents, began the creative process wearing masks and recording herself talking into the mirror. Four characters emerged: Claudia, Drachman (the school janitor who watches over her from the shadows), Grandfather, and Leslie (her new stepmother).
Thomson is “hi-lariously” funny as well as heart wrenchingly vulnerable and honest throughout the play. Her body and voice work is impressive and inspiring as she transitions from Claudia to the three other characters, each offering their own perspectives on Claudia and life. Changing her costume and donning the mask of another character to character-appropriate music, Thomson, like a butterfly, is completely transformed when she emerges again. Most striking was the transition from Claudia into Leslie, the “evil” stepmother. In one scene, Claudia goes on a tirade about how much she hates her. In the following scene, Thomson changes into Leslie, who is being fitted for her wedding dress and revealing how much she loves Claudia’s father: “When he looks at me, he sees someone worth loving. And that is a miracle.” She becomes a more sympathetic character, and we are reminded of how much growing up Claudia has yet to do.
The language of the piece is all Thomson’s own – completely unique, musical, and colourful. At one point, Grandfather mutters: “I’ve never seen a wrapper so in love with a lozenge!” as he attempts to open one to satisfy his sweet tooth. And Claudia chatters a mile a minute about how high-heeled shoes are “bondage for women!”
I, Claudia won Doras for Outstanding New Play 2001 and Outstanding Performance. While I am loathe to put too much stock into awards (how far have the Oscars fallen?), this show truly deserves these titles. It’s not easy to capture the minds and hearts of an entire audience singlehandedly, but Kristen Thomson does it.
