Eating With Lola

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Eating With Lola
Next Stage Theatre Festival/Sulong Theatre Company
Written and performed by Catherine Hernandez
Directed by Ann Powell
Factory Theatre, Jan. 5 to 16, 2011

Where would any Fringe Fest be without a good dose of whimsy? Filling that bill at the Next Stage Theatre Festival is Eating With Lola, written and performed by Catherine Hernandez, and directed by a queen of whimsy, Ann Powell of Puppetmongers.

The play is about a granddaughter caring for an infirmed “lola” or grandmother, and the lola’s story about the love of her life.

The whimsy comes with the production itself. Hernandez sits surrounded by various props. In this show, all artifice is revealed.

Lola is a tiny hand puppet, and we see Hernandez manipulate her head and arms to animate her. Other people in the story are indicated by holding up a hat, for example. Hernandez does all the voices and all the sound effects.

I have to confess, that over time, I stopped seeing Hernandez, and began to visualize the other people, including the tiny puppet Lola.

Next Stage Theatre Festival continues at Factory Theatre until Jan. 16.