Frida-Stroke of Passion- The Immersive Experience

Odalys Nanin’s acclaimed 2017 show Frida- Stroke of Passion is revived for a limited engagement at Casa 0101 Theater in a reimagined immersive staging. Immerse yourself into the world of the world-famous artist Frida Kahlo, where her paintings of vegetation and animals come alive in front of you, enhanced with the sounds of Frida’s world. A revealing look at Frida’s physical and emotional state of mind during the last week of her life, where reality and fantasy blend together imbued with enough haunting elements to make it a living dramatic experience.
The play begins on July 6, 1954, Frida’s 47th birthday. She will die exactly one week later. The narrative will explore the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. (There is an official account of her cause of death, but how did she die really?) This is not all, however. It is the story of a woman living as vibrantly as she can despite dwindling health and a world of pain.
She attempts to continue painting. Partially anesthetized by a mixture of tequila and painkillers, she is visited by many lovers, male and female, singer Chavela Vargas, movie star Maria Felix, Communist politician Leon Trotsky, entertainer Josephine Baker, Cuban spy Teresa Proenza, photographer Tina Modotti, and Frida’s husband, painter and muralist Diego Rivera. Some are physically present in her room, others are recreated and present in her vivid memory.
The relationship between Frida and Diego is deeply complex. Diego is incapable of sexual monogamy, so much so that he practically pushes Frida into the arms of other lovers. Yet their emotional attachment to each other is surpassingly deep and a thing of wonder.
Odalys Nanin is the playwright, director, and portrays Frida. Co-directed by Carmelita Maldonado.