Memorabilia Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"..."Memorabilia" is still a very rewarding and unusual show and a piece of new work with formidable potential. As I watched, I kept thinking about how great it would be for a child with grandparents struggling with memory to see this piece with someone who could explain what it was trying to say, but then the same would apply for an adult with a forgetful parent or, indeed, to persons themselves working mightily to remember, in all the complexity of that word. Memory is a wonderful theme for el_clown to explore because he is so vulnerable and empathetic. All he has to do now is ask himself what in his show matters the most."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The world premiere of Memorabilia (the show ran locally in an earlier version in 2022) plays all the right chords (mostly on a tiny melodica, which makes it even sweeter) in just the right balance of joy and sorrow to remind you of what is important in life-connection!"

Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended

"...Director and co creator Raquel Torre has protagonist Jean Claudio moving calmly and with deep intention through the 80 minute show remembering, or not, serving coffee to audience members and trying not to get caught in drawers, flipping and flying and constantly checking in with the contraption which assesses or brings up the memory on the screens. He is a gifted clown in the classic sense, funny and sad."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...This is a perfect show to bring the whole family to. In fact, part of the joy is watching others experience it with you. Go see it."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...I was amazed by Teatro Vista's "Lucha Teotl," about high-flying, Aztec-inspired luchadores at the Goodman last year. When I heard that company member Jean Claudio, who played the affable and nimble referee, was starring in a co-produced one-person show, "Memorabilia," running through June 29 at Filament Theatre, I was immediately interested. Co-created by Raquel Torre, the eighty-minute play combines clowning, acrobatics, juggling and dance to tell a nuanced narrative. But can a sole performer reignite the sense of awe I felt when they were ducking and diving under flamboyant wrestlers? Absolutely!"