Paulina Lenoir: Puella Eterna can make you forget about time and immerse yourself in, as the title suggests, the “eternity” of theatrical fantasies. “I am a poet.” You have no idea why you’re laughing at this line when Paulina appears, fancifully dressed and looking all serious. “What?” she asks in utter confusion, hearing laughter from the auditorium. This—laughter shortly after the show starts—is proof of her magic. The absurdity of her sincere statement is the perfect opening. You already know this will be a great comedy about the duality of being a romantic clown.
She claims this is a story about life—the life of a woman from beginning to end. Perhaps we see too much of the beginning and the end, ranging from a baby dancing for a puppet show, sucking her “mother’s” breasts, to the soul leaving her body and floating around as a ghost. The performer’s interaction with the audience is not only natural and engaging but also extremely funny in an enchanting way. We all play an important role in her life, satisfying the wonderful Paulina’s need for attention, love, puberty advice, career support, and funeral attendance. And she remembers our contributions, I assure you.
The seemingly linear plot is just a disguise. Paulina Lenoir: Puella Eterna is filled with unexpected and masterful episodes as she discovers different stages of life. The stage resembles a massive wardrobe full of costumes, masks, and jewellery that mark her evolving identities—a trajectory of self-exploration. When she’s a teenager, she goes to the club; when she needs to find a lover, she decorates herself with roses. Each event seems to make sense in context, but it is performed in such a bizarre way that a sensible action is transformed into a ridiculous and gorgeous scene.
As you laugh and fall in love with the clown in Paulina Lenoir: Puella Eterna, you may or may not instinctively link the show to poetry. However, few things are more poetic than the eternal quest for drama and romance that consumes our clown. Moreover, there is something grand and deeply touching in the way ordinary life can be so wonderfully weird, full of suspense, anticipation, and laughter. Paulina Lenoir creates a marvel out of the ordinary.
