Viva, Frida!
Svetlana Telyatnikova-Nikabadze April 9, 2018
On the Simonov Stage of the Eugene Vakhtangov Theatre, there is a stunning premiere of Nika Simonova’s play “Frida: Life in Color,” directed by Leila Abu-al-Kishk. Frida Kahlo—the world-famous Mexican artist—led an incredibly vivid and tragic life. “I am 18. In my hospital room, death dances,” she wrote in her diary. *“Pain will henceforth be my main novel. My mother wails day and night… Three days before my death, I will paint ‘Viva la Muerte!’” Frida Kahlo had suffered a severe accident and sustained serious injuries.
She spent an entire year confined to bed. She asked her father for brushes and paints and began to draw: “In every portrait—me, in every subject—me. Every artist paints themselves.” At the age of 22, she married the famous artist Diego Rivera, who was 43. “There were two accidents in my life,” she wrote: “when the bus collided with the tram, and Diego.”
Diego Rivera had a profound influence on her art. He was the first to recognize the originality of the young artist’s work, which bore no resemblance to anyone else’s. Frida’s painting was dominated by self-portraits, reflecting events from her personal life. Their marriage became legendary. Diego adored Frida but was endlessly fascinated by women. “For me, sleeping with another woman is no different than urinating,” he reportedly said in response to his wife’s complaints of infidelity. Frida understood perfectly: “All he needs is many different bodies.” Yet she loved Diego “more than her own skin.”
The couple was united not only by art but also by shared political beliefs—they were communists. Frida was also a member of the Mexican Communist Party. Diego Rivera visited the Soviet Union and participated in celebrations for the tenth anniversary of the revolution. In 1937, the Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky briefly found refuge in Frida and Diego’s home. A romance developed between him and Frida, though he eventually left, reportedly due to his overt fascination with the passionate Mexican artist. “There is so much pain and loneliness in your paintings,” Trotsky observed, “one can see that you believe in human suffering.” Frida considered Trotsky a hero, and so did much of Mexico.
At a press meeting, Nika Simonova said that “the story itself is so dramatic, colorful, and self-sufficient that throughout the production process it guided me, the director, and the actors. Adelina Gizatullina, who plays Frida, had long urged me to take on this play. I began working immediately when I discovered that my daughter was born on Frida Kahlo’s birthday—July 6.” For director Leila Abu-al-Kishk, the play reveals what lies behind Frida Kahlo’s paintings: a story of loneliness, passion, pain, love, and destiny. “Every painting is a small play.”
Adelina Gizatullina sought to honor and elevate her character, moving away from the common perception of Frida as a “devil in a skirt.” Her Frida is a sensitive soul, deserving of compassion.
The production features poems by both Frida Kahlo and Nika Simonova. Frida’s paintings remain offstage, allowing the audience to imagine them in their own minds.