The Excitement of Frida Kahlo’s Life Is Still All a Buzz…
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We discussed as Frida calls it, “the second accident in her life—Diego Rivera”.
This act of falling in love with Diego caused just as much distress and maybe even more than her physical injuries.
She was obsessed and in love with him. He challenged and inspired her in her younger years to pursue art. She couldn’t live without him. She couldn’t breathe without him. And not being able to have children with him due to her earlier accident traumatized her and is reflected in so much of her work.
After all of Diego’s infidelities, and as well with her sister-Cristina she tries to leave him, but decides that her life is better with him in it. She would do anything for him. Susan felt that Frida’s death may have had more to do with Diego than even the physical deterioration of her body—I don’t disagree with that.
After all of the physical pains and challenges that she had in her life, her emotional heart may have been more vulnerable to death.
My sneak preview of a rehearsal with Susan and Walter. I particularly love Frida’s conversations with Diego where his painter coveralls stand in for his character.
My last questions with Susan were about Frida’s impact on the people in her life
My last questions with Susan were about Frida’s impact on the people in her life back then and the people who love her today.
She was a woman, a Latina, an artist and somehow she wasn’t limited by the societal constraints of that day’s world. She was a very vocal woman talking and painting freely about infidelity, miscarriage, abortion, violence, war, sexuality. Susan pretty much wrapped it up into Frida’s message to be who you are, be yourself, be comfortable in your unique beauty, do what makes you happy.
I guess I crafted my question based on today’s sometimes more carefully constrained “box” that we sometimes put ourselves in as to what people will say about me, but Frida overlooked all of that and spoke and painted from the heart. Who cares what anybody else thinks about you.
Even with Frida’s physical limitations making her daily existence so difficult, Susan says she learns from her—“even with our little aches and pains—this is nothing compared to Frida’s suffering. You get up, you keep doing and you say—Thank you God, I’m alive. Others are not, others are worse off than me. Thank you—I am alive. You didn’t take me “Baldie Death”.
I beat you again today!”
I am thrilled to see this play. Come and join in the beautiful, tragic life and love story of Frida Kahlo at “Kahlo más allá de Frida” at the Gramercy Arts Theater in May!
Where: Gramercy Arts Theater, 138 East 27th St., NY, NY 10016
When: Wednesday, May 11th @ 7PM, Sunday, May 15th @ 6:30PM, Monday, May 16th @ 11AM
Tickets available at: www.rybinent.eventbrite.com More information: (917)312-1579 and info@rybinentertainment.com
Related articles:
Our Visit to the Bronx and Frida Kahlo—Art, Garden, Life [Photos]
Local Pride: Frida & Diego in Atlanta
