I, Claudia = A stellar solo multi-character mask performance!

I, Claudia is such a theatre treat I’d venture to say it is finger licking good and as delicious as a perfectly season well cooked rib from Bar B Barn.

The play’s title is a take on ’I, Claudius’ - The connection lies in the fact that they are both secret accounts of the inner workings of a character. Claudia is a 12 year old plain girl in the physical and emotional throes of puberty, with unfortunate social skills and reeling from her parents’ divorce. Her father is about to remarry and she is suffering from the anxiety that ensues from his pending nuptials. Claudia speaks to us from inside the boiler room in the basement of her school (a brilliantly realistic stage design), where she stores all the things that are secret and dear to her; that even include her Fathers’ odd socks. Some important adults in Claudia’s life - her grandfather Douglas, her father’s new girlfriend Leslie and the school custodian Drachman - shed light on her situation.

I first knew something special was about to happen when I walked into the new space at the Segal Center and saw the intimate seating and the elaborate set design. This was reiterated when not long into the running of the play I realized I had a cramp in my cheeks; Facial ones, not those I was sitting on. I realized that I had been grinning since the lights dimmed and the curtains were drawn open. For those who know me I usually wear a permanent ‘straight poke face’ expression …
 
The 1 act 90 minutes piece is smart, quick and perfectly paced. Michelle Polak portrays four characters to perfection in mask. The charming and intelligent custodian Drachman guides us through the story as a pseudo narrator with many tricks up his sleeves.
Laced with solid humour and compelling subtle nuances Claudia makes her point (things aren’t always what they appear to be on the outside) clear and poignant;
Even more endearing, if it is possible, is her Grand Father Douglas, and if I could add a comment it would be you can’t get enough of Douglas. Equally well performed,
however somewhat less enchanting is the step-Mother ‘to be’ Leslie. Overall Kristen Thomson’s Claudia leaves our appetite content but craving for a second helping.

I, Claudia
By Kristen Thomson
Directed by Leah Cherniak
Starring Michelle Polak

The filmed version of the play, directed by Chris Abraham, was voted one of Canada’s top ten movies of 2004 by the Toronto International Film Festival Group. Playwright and actor Kristen Thompson is also a three-time Dora Award winner for her work on stage.

I, Claudia is the first production to be presented in The Segal Centre’s new studio space! Playing March 16 - April 13, 2008.