BoHo's I Am My Own Wife

The play I Am My Own Wife asks the lead -- and only -- actor, who in this production is Peter Robel, to do some unusual work: portray a few dozen characters in the span of a couple hours. And, it asks the audience to do some unusual work as well: believe that this one actor really is those few dozen characters with only a change of gesture and voice to differentiate one from the next. Robel, who portrays infamous East German transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf as well as all those additional characters, delivered a solid performance in the BoHo Theatre's production of the play that has won awards both on and off Broadway. But I wouldn't describe Robel's performance as much more than solid. I found the delicate hand fluttered around the neck -- the main gesture that he used to bring von Mahlsdorf's physicality to life -- to be a cliche. Even if that were an accurate gesture made by von Mahlsdorf, I think an actor could develop a more complex and interesting visual vocabulary -- i.e., something beyond the anticipated cliche.

I found the switch into the various supporting characters was often gratuitous and unnecessary. This wasn't Robel's fault as much as a flaw of the script. I'm not sure why rendering all the characters was important to the story. Why not let the actor listen and react to unheard voices off stage for these fleeting characters? Theater audiences are used to such devices. There were some important secondary characters -- Doug Wright, his friend in East Germany, and von Mahlsdorf's friend/rival antique dealer -- who were worthy of Robel's interpretation. But, the myriad Soviet secret police and American soldiers who only had a line or two ultimately come across as a series of quick gesticulations and voice changes. It's distracting more than a tour de force.

The final scene of the play is also disappointing. Throughout, we're asked to closely focus on Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, not just for her eccentricities, but also to consider what is the truth and what is a lie about her life. We are asked to focus on her as someone who may have turned in a close friend to the Soviet secret police for her own gain or who may have given the information at the behest of this same friend to "save herself." Yet the final scene asks us to direct our attention away from this big question to a metaphor -- a child sitting with two lion cubs (don't worry, I'm not giving away any secrets of the play) -- which seems like a cop out on the playwright's behalf. The questions that were raised were raised through character. To try to answer these difficult questions about von Mahlsdorf and her choices through a metaphor that tries to neatly box up her life yet ultimately results in an ambivalent image seems misdirected at best. von Mahlsdorf may have been an enigma, but she wasn't a character that inspired ambivalence.

A tip of the hat to set designer John Zuicker whose monochromatic set was textured and lush.

Girl in a Coma

This summer, I had the chance to catch my first Girl in a Coma show. They're a San Antonio-based trio -- all young women -- comprised of sisters Nina (vocals/guitar) and Phanie (drums) Diaz with friend Jenn Alva (bass.) The mythology goes that Phanie and Jenn, long-time friends, had begun playing music together when kid-sister Nina made it known that she wanted in. She played them some of the songs that she'd written on the guitar. They were blown away by the maturity of her lyrics and the unique quality of her voice, and Girl in a Coma was born.

N. Diaz's voice reminds me of Sia, Teagan & Sarah, and Adele. There seems to be a lot of throaty girl singers on the music market right now. But there is an extra heartbreak quality in Diaz's voice that may come from living in the heat and wide-open loneliness that is Texas. Her voice has taken the pain of country music and married it to the force of punk speed and volume. Of course, the group's name is a gesture to The Smith's song, so the vulnerability in her voice can sonically be traced to Morrissey. It might sound a bit strange to comment on how wide N. Diaz opens her mouth, but control and volume are based in technique. Too few singers know that and rely on the mic to make up for what their voices lack. Not Ms. Diaz. She lets the volume out and keeps the notes in key by opening her mouth wide and using her tiny frame to get those notes past her teeth and all the way to the back of the room. This young woman has a solid voice.

The band as a whole plays chord based rock with occasional tones of power surf. If the audience is looking for masterful fret work, complicated drumming and intricate harmonies, Girl in a Coma isn't your band. But that's not to say that this band doesn't work hard to create the power of its sound, which serves as the pounding heartbeat for Ms. Diaz's lyrics and voice. It's straightforward pop punk with strong melodies and interesting bridges that change rhythms. Their songs are fast and short -- a la the Ramones -- and they switch up the melodies enough to keep the transitions engaging.

The show was presented in the auditorium of the National Mexican Art Museum. It's not a perfect music venue, but I saw the Taco Shop Poets there in 2002 and thought what I thought this time -- it works. The biggest challenge was the sound system. Static was noticeable on the quieter songs, and if the NMAM plans to keep presenting national level music groups, they're going to need to invest in a better sound system. A green room wouldn't hurt either. There was an awkward moment when the group was done with their set, knew they would come back for a quick encore, but didn't have anywhere to go out of the crowd's sight. So, they stood by the stairs for a minute -- where we all could see them -- and quickly came back on stage for the encore.

The 100 plus crowd included the requisite number of ear spacers, Chuck Taylors, tattoos and the one guy in the skirt (there's always one in every crowd) to designate it sufficiently "alternative." A nice change was present in the excitement of young Latinas seeing someone not-too-different from themselves up on the stage. The band's banter between songs was nonchalant and revealed their youth and approachability. Nervous at the beginning, they relaxed as the evening went on and were clearly sensitive to their impact on young women -- even girls -- in the audience. They wished 7-year-old Evelyn a Happy Birthday between songs. The three stayed afterward, and their table was crowded by those same young Latinas -- and others, of course -- wanting to get their autograph and take their photo.

The band is signed to Joan Jett's Blackheart Records. They just released their second album -- Trio B.C. -- which follows their debut effort -- Both Before I'm Gone. (One of my favorite songs and videos from that album is "Say.") Girl in a Coma is a band to follow.