Frida...A Self Portrait

Frida…A Self Portrait, currently at the Michael Klein Theatre, is written and performed by the incredibly talented Vanessa Severo. This is a difficult show to write a review of. I walked out of the theatre after seeing it thinking, Why? Why did such a clearly brilliant actress, Vanessa Severo, choose this to write, and perform in. Yes, it is a tour-de-force for her. But to be totally honest, I hope one day to see her great talent in a play I could enjoy fully. This was not it. 

The direction, by Joanie Schultz, was good. She had Severo moving around the stage to keep the action going. The set design by Jacqueline Penrod, was wonderful, and gave Severo what she needed to emote as she did. The costume designer, Katherine Davis, lighting designer, Rachael Cady, and sound designer and composer, Thomas Dixon, all added their immense talents to try to make this play more than it was. But all their talent still left me, and from what I could tell from the audience discussion after the show, after they gave Severo a standing ovation, with a big, WHY?

If you are a connoisseur of great acting, then by all means see this play. But see it for that, not expecting any great revelations, or insights, into Frida Kahlo. In fact, to even fully appreciate what you are seeing about her in the play, you need to know her story in advance.

Shakespeare Theatre Company shared the following about the show. “There is an art to being alone. On the eve of Frida Kahlo’s death, the pain and passion of an extraordinary life are laid bare. Brazilian writer and performer Vanessa Severo cracks open a powerful portal between herself and the celebrated Mexican painter, bringing breathtaking physicality and raw honesty to this “visually lush, emotionally rich” (Chicago Sun-Times) portrait of one of the world’s most iconic artists.”

I agree with the Chicago Sun-Times that Severo brings breathtaking physicality to the show. The show attempts to explore how Kahlo was able to harness her brilliance and overcome a devastating accident to become one of the most recognizable icons of the 20th century, both in the art world, and far beyond. But again, to understand some of the emotions in the show you should know about Kahlo’s life before you go. 

Kahlo’s father was German, and her mother a mestiza of Purépecha descent. She spent most of her childhood and adult life at La Casa Azul, her family home in Coyoacan, Mexico. She contracted polio in 1913, which left her disabled, and then was severely injured in a bus accident when she was 18. After that she spent her time focused on art. It was then she approached, and met, the artist Diego Rivera.  She first encountered him when he was painting a mural in her school auditorium. Kahlo's interests in politics and art led her to join the Mexican Communist Party in 1927, of which Rivera was also a member.  They married in 1929 and traveled together in Mexico and the United States. Through the 1930s she traveled and painted and the Louvre purchased one of her paintings. Through the 1940s she continued to paint and teach art. She passed away in 1954, at the age of 47.

Kahlo's work as an artist remained relatively unknown until the late 1970s, when her work was rediscovered by art historians and political activists. By the early 1990s, not only had she become a recognized figure in art history, but she was also regarded as an icon for Chicanos, the feminism movement, and the LGBTQ+ community. Kahlo's work has been celebrated internationally as emblematic of Mexican national and Indigenous traditions, and by feminists for what is seen as its uncompromising depiction of the female experience, and form. 

Again, Severo is a brilliant actress, and her play, Frida…A Self Portrait, is at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s, Michael Klein Theatre, through November 8^th.  Tickets are available online. Runtime: Approximately one hour and 15 minutes, with no intermission.