logo
Review: Powerful play ‘Memorabilia' explores the hope and limits of memory through the eyes of a clown

Review: Powerful play ‘Memorabilia' explores the hope and limits of memory through the eyes of a clown

Chicago Tribune05-06-2025
Jean Claudio, a formidable Chicago-based talent who lives on Instagram as @el_clown, can dance, juggle, tumble, perform handstands and unleash a variety of -style clowning, a function of having a remarkably pliant and supple body and having trained in circus and physical theater in Buenos Aries and at the Actors Gymnasium in Evanston.
Claudio is not an actor who moves. He's a legitimate circus professional with an uncommon facility for generating empathy. And in 'Memorabilia,' a very enjoyable solo show now at the Filament Theatre in Portage Park, Claudio sets about extending his skills and engaging persona into a bigger narrative, one that explores the limits of memory and the possibility of its reawakening.
The show is produced by Teatro Vista, and if I add that the Alzheimer's Association is one of the show's sponsors, you probably have a sense of the world that Claudio is inhabiting here.
But it's far from conventional or based on just one of life's travails. Claudio is, after all, a clown. And the 80-minute show, which is perfectly fine for family audiences, is a mostly joyful experience as an inventor named Salvador interacts physically and comedically with a whole bunch of stuff from his prior life (a plate, a piece of fabric, a coffee pot, a song, a body, a love), the significance of which he often struggles to remember (or is it to face?). But on designer Lauren Nichols' set, Salvador has a Rube Goldberg contraption to aid him in his quest to recall what matters most. It's a sculpture made up of old televisions and monitors, drawers filled with objects, maybe a toaster oven to gobble up life's cues.
In its best moments, which are fantastic, Claudio dives deep into the unsettling nature of memory loss and denial but also into our incredible ability to recall and survive things from long ago. It's an affirmative piece that really challenges the notion that 'I can't remember' has to be a permanent state. If your family (as was mine) was or is touched by Alzheimer's, you'll know that one of the main challenges faced by those with the condition is to sort out what is significant (a loved one, say), and what can and should be discarded to the sands of time. After all, the ability to forget is the only way we can manage to stay content; if we recalled every past slight and example of unfair treatment, we'd spend our days in a stew of resentment. It's to his great credit that Claudio's show brings all of this up.
Like a lot of clowns trained in South and Central America, Claudio has developed an expertise in what is known as crowd work, the name given to audience interaction. This, too, here, is about prompting memory, mostly through a very extensive accompanying sound design from Satya Chávez that really becomes a second character in the show.
I think 'Memorabilia' still needs some work: its potentially potent emotional trajectory, its arc of feeling, sometimes get pushed aside as Claudio gets too involved with all of his stuff on stage and the thread gets lost. Ironically, given the subject, the show has some ways yet to go when it comes to signaling what is and is not the most important and, although the conclusion is inspiring, it would be yet more powerful if it were allowed more room to breathe. It's mostly a question of finding the right focus and pairing down what does not get used, and I thought those issues most acute in the less cohesive second part of the evening.
If Claudio could focus as much on the audience's journey of feeling as he does on trying to make us laugh, he'd really have something here.
That said, 'Memorabilia' is still a very rewarding and unusual show and a piece of new work with formidable potential. As I watched, I kept thinking about how great it would be for a child with grandparents struggling with memory to see this piece with someone who could explain what it was trying to say, but then the same would apply for an adult with a forgetful parent or, indeed, to persons themselves working mightily to remember, in all the complexity of that word. Memory is a wonderful theme for el_clown to explore because he is so vulnerable and empathetic. All he has to do now is ask himself what in his show matters the most.
Review: 'Memorabilia' (3 stars)
When: Through June 29
Where: Teatro Vista at Filament Theatre, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Tickets: $20-$55 at teatrovista.org
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rachael Ray's fans calls for temperature check on celeb chef after ‘concerning' behavior
Rachael Ray's fans calls for temperature check on celeb chef after ‘concerning' behavior

New York Post

time38 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Rachael Ray's fans calls for temperature check on celeb chef after ‘concerning' behavior

For decades, Food Network chef Rachael Ray has warmed America's hearts with her budget meals and culinary catch phrases like 'yum-o' and 'delish.' But now, worried fans are calling for a temperature check over the chef's bizarre behavior. 'People have been concerned about her for the past couple of years,' a TV insider told The Post, following reports she was slurring her speech in a cooking video recently, leading worried fans to question in Ray is alright. Advertisement 12 Celebrity chef Rachael Ray has sparked concerns from fans over her health in recent years. Rachael Ray/Instagram 'There's always been rumors that she drinks,' said a source, who was quick to point out they didn't know if she could be suffering from a medical condition. Sources close to Ray say there's no issue, she's 'taking care of herself' and 'doing things on her own terms.' Advertisement 'Rachael Ray is someone that isn't into hair and makeup, and high heels. People are judging her based off of what a standard of beauty is. She's not that girl,' the TV insider said. On Wednesday, Ray stepped out at a media event at Ray's Bar on the Lower East Side to promote her spirits brand Staple Gin, shaking up cocktails behind the bar clad in an oversized blazer, jeans, Nike sneakers, and clear-framed glasses next to her husband, musician and lawyer John Cusimano, 57. 12 Sources close to Ray say she's 'taking care of herself' and 'doing things on her own terms.' Getty Images 'I wouldn't have my name associated with the actual gin because if you don't like me or you think my voice is funny, or whatever, you could still buy the gin,' Ray quipped, giving her hubby credit for his cocktail-making skills. Advertisement 'I wrote the recipe for the gin, I really did. Worked on it a long, long time. But my husband is responsible for all the cocktails that are made,' she told the crowd. In May, Ray appeared to slur her words in a cooking video shared to Instagram on Mother's Day, showing her standing over a stovetop. 12 On Wednesday, Ray stepped out at a media event at Ray's Bar on the Lower East Side to promote her spirits brand Staple Gin, shaking up cocktails with her husband, John Cusimano (left). Getty Images for NYCWFF 12 'If you don't like me or you think my voice is funny, or whatever, you could still buy the gin,' Ray quipped on Wednesday, seemingly addressing fan concern. Getty Images Advertisement She recalled a time when she was 'very, very poor' living in Glens Falls, New York; before her big break in 2002 with '$40 A Day,' the show which saw her show how to live healthily on a low budget, catapulting her to a household name. 'Rachael worried about you!' one fan wrote in the comments. 'Rachael, are you okay? You don't look well,' another asked. In June, an insider claimed to the Daily Mail that something 'seemed off' with Ray who showed 'bizarre behavior' while conversing with fans and handing out bottles of her gin and baseball caps at an event at Broadway Spirits in Manhattan. 12 'Rachael Ray is someone that isn't into hair and makeup, and high heels. People are judging her based off of what a standard of beauty is. She's not that girl,' the TV insider said. Getty Images for NYCWFF 'She got oddly close to some people, hugging them in a way that seemed overly familiar as she posed for photos,' the source said. 'You know how Drew Barrymore acts with celebrity guests on her talk show — just like that.' Last October, in the debut episode of her podcast 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead,' Ray admitted some of her housework was on pause because she suffered 'a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks,' again sparking worry over her health. Advertisement 12 'Rachael worried about you!' one fan wrote in the comments of a cooking video the celebrity chef posted in May. Rachael Ray/Instagram A rep for Ray told The Post: 'Yes, we have seen some comments and questions from fans. Rachael focuses on the majority of fans asking her for help getting dinner on the table or for ways they can best feed their family with food prices on the rise. 'Rachael is working at her usual vigorous pace.' Behind the chef's sunny persona is a mountain of grief. In May 2020, Ray's beloved pit bull Isaboo died. Advertisement 12 In June, an insider claimed to the Daily Mail that something 'seemed off' with Ray, who showed 'bizarre behavior' while conversing with fans and handing out bottles of her gin at Broadway Spirits in Tribeca, seen here. Janet Mayer/Shutterstock '[My dog] died in my arms,' she said at the time in an interview with EXTRA. 'I felt guilty and grateful at the same time…People suffered actual human loss from COVID or because they couldn't get care…and how many people died alone.' Then her home in Lake Luzerne, New York, burned down in a chimney fire that August. A year later, in 2021, her New York City apartment was flooded during Hurricane Ida. Advertisement 12 Last October, in her debut episode of her podcast 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead,' Ray admitted some of her housework was on pause because she suffered 'a few falls,' dishing on her home life with her husband in upstate New York. WireImage 12 'Rachael is working at her usual vigorous pace,' a rep for Ray told The Post. Janet Mayer/Shutterstock 'She was dealing with trauma,' the TV insider told The Post. This June, Ray paid tribute to her longtime friend, fellow Food Network chef Anne Burrell, who died by suicide in June at age 55. She said the death left her 'truly shaken.' Advertisement 'She was a force in the kitchen, in any room, in every life she touched,' Ray wrote in a tribute on Instagram. 12 Ray has suffered losses over the last few years, including her beloved pit bull in 2020. Her home upstate burned down months later. 'She was dealing with trauma,' the TV insider told The Post. Getty Images 12 Ray mourned the loss of beloved friend and fellow Food Network chef Anne Burrell, who died by suicide in June. rachaelray/Instagram Ray reached Food Network superstardom with '30 Minute Meals,' where she made affordable food, fast for working families in the early 2000s. She also launched her namesake lifestyle magazine and a nationally syndicated talk show, 'Rachael Ray,' which ran for 17 seasons from 2006 to 2023. Follow The Post's coverage on Anne Burrell's death Her final episodes of the daytime gabfest ended with emotional tributes from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama and she left a huge hole in ABC network's schedule. 'Her show did well with ratings, [ABC] couldn't find another show to replace her. That was the challenge.' Despite retiring from talk TV, sources close to Ray say she's far from throwing in the dish towel on her career. 12 A source close to Ray told The Post: 'She's taking real care of herself. She is still building and growing. She's not slowing down — just doing things on her own terms.' Getty Images for NYCWFF 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead' has proven a hit, with guests like chef Jacques Pepin and Dr. Ian Smith, who had frequently appeared on her talk show. 'Rachael is doing really well — in fact, she's working harder than ever. She's constantly on the move, traveling between her homes in upstate New York and Tuscany, Italy, where she's filming new episodes for her A&E shows, while also making frequent trips to New York City for events, media, and business meetings,' a source close to Ray told The Post. 'She's taking real care of herself. She is still building and growing. She's not slowing down — just doing things on her own terms.'

Astronomer's Gwyneth Paltrow video after Coldplay 'kiss cam' is perfection
Astronomer's Gwyneth Paltrow video after Coldplay 'kiss cam' is perfection

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Astronomer's Gwyneth Paltrow video after Coldplay 'kiss cam' is perfection

This is the next step if you're Astronomer, the company at which the now-former CEO -- a man named Andy Byron -- and ex-Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught on a "kiss cam" during a Coldplay concert. You deal with the crisis, and then you try to go viral with something that resets the conversation. So Astronomer hired actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who spoke in an Instagram post about "a lot of questions" the company has received and how she can answer them. It's actually a hilarious video. Some of the questions are listed, like: "OMG What the actual f..." and "How is your social media team holding..." But Paltrow talks about what the company actually does. You've got to give them credit. This is the way you rebound from what has surely been a rough time at the company with all the memes everywhere and the video of the parties involved going super-mega viral. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Gwyneth Paltrow Astronomer video after Coldplay kiss cam is perfect Solve the daily Crossword

Astronomer's Gwyneth Paltrow video after Coldplay 'kiss cam' is perfection
Astronomer's Gwyneth Paltrow video after Coldplay 'kiss cam' is perfection

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Astronomer's Gwyneth Paltrow video after Coldplay 'kiss cam' is perfection

This is the next step if you're Astronomer, the company at which the now-former CEO -- a man named Andy Byron -- and ex-Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught on a "kiss cam" during a Coldplay concert. You deal with the crisis, and then you try to go viral with something that resets the conversation. So Astronomer hired actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who spoke in an Instagram post about "a lot of questions" the company has received and how she can answer them. It's actually a hilarious video. Some of the questions are listed, like: "OMG What the actual f..." and "How is your social media team holding..." But Paltrow talks about what the company actually does. You've got to give them credit. This is the way you rebound from what has surely been a rough time at the company with all the memes everywhere and the video of the parties involved going super-mega viral.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store