Critic
Superwomen on the Rampage
Direct Translation from the Morgningpost (Morgunblaðið) in Iceland,
-Soffía Auður Birgisdóttir Critic
CELLOPHANE
Playwright and actress: Björk Jakobsdóttir
Director: Ágústa Skúladóttir
Set: Guðrún Öyahals
Costumes: Þórey Björk Halldórsdóttir
Textile Design: Þórunn Eva Hallsdóttir
Lighting: Björn Kristjánsson
Hafnarfjörður Theatre, April 30,2002
The “Superwoman Syndrome” takes it on the chin in this new solo work by actress Björk Jakobsdóttur. The play is entitled Cellophane, and its title refers to the decision, made by an exhausted working mother of two, to follow the advice of women’s magazines and attempt to spice up her sex life by wrapping herself in cellophane in order to excite her husband.
The 80 minuets –long play gives us a glimpse into the life and thoughts of this young “modern” woman, who has to perform up to expectations on all fronts; in the home, at work, at the fitness club, in bed, and – last but not least- in the eyes of others, The material for the work is taken directly from contemporary Icelandic life, and most of those who have found themselves in the protagonist´s position should be able to identify with this world, which is portrayed in an exceptionally comic light.
The Play spans a single day in the life of the woman´s family. Over the course of this one day, the audience sees a sampling of the portfolio of battles she fights: with her children, with the children´s nursery school teacher, with her professional colleagues, with her own mother, with those few extra pounds she is trying to shed – and more besides. The day begins badly: she has overslept because she allowed herself to watch “Survivor” on television the night before. She ponders the possibility for working mothers to win Survivor; their experience jumping the hurdles of everyday life should certainly give them a good start!
Björk Jakobsdóttir is truly a star in her role and proves beyond doubt that she has impeccable command of comedy. The audience enjoyed itself to the fullest, and many obviously identified with the struggle illustrated onstage. Jakobsdóttir´s tewt is rich with sarcasm; she flings her darts in various directions, aiming specificlly at the impact that “equal rights” have had on the lives of modern woman and the demand for material wealth that young people make today.
The Play is in short, a marvellously entertaining solo performance by Björk Jakobsdóttir. The idea behind it is clever and timely, and one wonders why in the world no one has come up with it before now. Perhaps the most liekly reason is that woman who best recognize the woeld Björk Jakobsdóttir describes simply haven´t the time to sit down and write a play about it! The Play is a work to be proud of, and we hope that Björk Jakobsdóttir will continue to develop her obvious talents and write more in the near future.
An excellent team led by director ágústa Skúladóttir assists Jakobsdóttir in bringing Cellophane to the stage, and their work culminates in a performance that everyone – particulary working mothers – should see ( that is, if they have the time and energy – and can get a babysitter ).
The Cellophane monologue
- Daniele Muscionico, Zuricher Zeitungen, Zurich
How can you compare the football finals with the premier of a magnificent European monologue? With the Weisser Wind theater completely sold out on a Saturday night a whole group of spectators has decided to choose 1 actress over 11 players and watch her perform Cellophane for 90 minutes.
To the tune of the Rocky theme she dances unto the stage – gives the punching bag a soft left, blinks the audience and smiles seductively – they´ve all got their eyes glued to this one woman, awarding her all the attention tonight. Suddenly she changes the role and becomes: Boom! Monica Amrein, Swiss actress with a lot of experience (from George Tabori, Peter Zadek…), a lot to offer, and above all charged with energy. With the energy of a jester she climbes on back of the tiger we call theatre and boxes her way (literally) through the premier of this one woman dramatic monologue Cellophane – a woman´s autobiography staged and framed in the present. The story of a wife, mother and career woman. Or: How will I organize some form of work-life-balance. Of course this hits the stage with a knock-out. The whole feminist movement hits her in the back and drags Helen down. This standup-comedy is produced and staged by Siegmund Tischendorf with no regard for the audience – fast, sexy, selfabasing – Siegmund Tischendorf is also known as the most accomplished “Caveman” of all time. There is a big scheme behind Cellophane, the female answer to “The Caveman” which is spreading like wildfire through the old world and soon the new one as well. It was a pleasant suprise that the auther herself was present, come all the way from Iceland to Oberdorfstrasse in Zürich: Björk, the second.
Clearly it was not just Björk Jakobsdóttir with all her charm, gifted with all her amazing writing talent and social insight, that immensly enjoyed the show – the audience were ecstatic about this magnificent opening night and the sheer force projected by Helen/Monica. In no lesser terms can you describe the agitation and laughter happening in front of the stage. Because this tale is no fiction.
Has no progress been made since Alice Swarzer [a well known German feminist activist] was at her best? Or what? Did Alice and her sisters throw their bras away in the name of equality? Do the daughters of Alice wear Wonderbra today? Or are they at home, wrapping themselves in cellophane like Helen/Monica, for their husbands and his masculine hopes for satisfaction?
The weapon called eroticism is the new feminist way of Helen/Monica and one of the most effective weapons available for the front line of this war between raising children and a career, between pampers and PC; eros is the weapon of her body in this war, so to speak. This war that doesn´t even have it´s own legislature in the laws of nation and really must be won! For women and men.
I would not be to hard to collect enough signatures among the audience to start the perfect battle. Ed Fagan [U.S attorney that filed a case against a cigarette manufacturer], be heard!
Translation:
Ragnar Egilsson
Barbara Gallo´s monologue on the stressful life of the modern woman
- Loosely translated from: Catania/Sicilia S.SC. (Sergio Schiacca)
For the first time in Italy, here in Catania in Sala De Curtis, an Icelandic author (Björk Jakobsdóttir) and an Icelandic director (Guðný Jónsdóttir) have introduced a play with the enigmatic title of Cellophane. The piece, which is also to be staged in Denmark and Belgium, has been modified to relate better to our circumstances.
Is it possible for the realities of two places as different as the Thule of the north (Reykjavík) and the Cyclops Island in the South to correspond?
Yes, the audience´s wonderful response at the opening night was a testament to that and the powerful performance of Barbara Gallo (star of films such as Nuovo Cinema Paradiso and La Piovra) was a hit with the crowd.
But what is the play about and were does the title come into play? Our heroine is very energetic, mother of two hygienic children, wife to a delightful husband and has a career to focus on. In a tightly planned schedule she darts around in chaotic traffic in her husband´s jeep between work, the gym, the younger child´s playschool, the older child´s grammar school and her mother´s house, in between losing herself to fits of frustration over unexpected obstacles. When the evening comes, she is exhausted but yet manages, dressed in sexy lingerie, to wrap herself erotically in Cellophane to try to spice up the love life, which hasn´t received the proper attention.
Barbara Gallo addresses the audience directly and takes on the role of various characters that she has to have contact with to make it through the day (as well as the cast of Survivor). The colorful cast of characters contains the obnoxious office manager, the uneducated windbag, the domineering grandmother, the misbehaving baby, the mischievous daughter and the strict playschool teacher who appear before us in vivid colours surrounding our courageous heroine, who at the end of the day lays herself down in bed rolled up in cellophane!
What we have here is a delicate analysis of modern times. Barbara Gallo takes a jovial view of consumer society (there is after all never enough money, you need your career, are always busy). This is a hilarious journey but when the cheering ended we are reminded of the serious side to the situation. We are made to reflect on the place we have put ourselves in, though we have no idea how we got there.