Offering us an unusual spin on American dating scene, in “La Matadora,” playwright Hope Weiner compares a woman to a bullfighter, who has to combat a bull and bring him down to her feet. While learning survival techniques and ways of “maneuvering the bull into submission,” the protagonist, Linda (Linda Friedmen) also has to deal with other realities of her everyday life: her job as a waitress, her therapist who provides little relief but charges a lot of money, and her wading beauty that needs to be rescued by Botox.
Together with Samantha Kozloff, who plays every other character in the play, Friedmen makes the audience laugh until their stomachs hurt and interacts with the viewers, getting some involved in the action more than others.
And indeed, without the humor it would be a sad story we heard too many times. A woman who wants love but always ends up with the wrong kind of guy. But not only is Linda brave and unwilling to give up, she can also laugh at herself and maintain positive attitude, despite the fear of her heart being trampled by bulls.
The bubbling energy Linda showers the audience with does not match that of the people around her, which makes her exceptional and even more appealing to us. All the other characters in the play have something that weighs them down and prevents them from connecting with the protagonist. For example, her friend is more interested in drinking wine than listening to Linda’s dating endeavors, and the therapist gets paid for her time, so she is always rushing to end the session and get to another client.
This is the reality of New York: in the big city people are always busy, and they rarely spend quality time with others. Thus, laughing at Linda and those around her, we laugh at ourselves, and at the same time become aware of how important it is to establish real human connections.
And just as we are thinking that, the actors establish the connection with us by getting us involved in the play. They randomly address different audience members, which makes the show an interactive experience. Unlike the awkwardness one feels when picked on at a comedy show, being a part of “La Matadora” feels fun. The actors are friendly and engaging, and their passion for what they do is contagious.
And it’s not just a laughing matter, either. The play raises a few important questions about relationships. For instance, why is it that when we are in love, we become blind and do not see when we are being mistreated? “I’m a sucker for bullshit,” Linda sums it up, becoming both her own and your personal dating counselor. The advice is simple: do not show that you are afraid, do not step in a pile of poop, and do not let the bull too close to you, otherwise he will hurt you. Sounds simple, isn’t it?
However, as the protagonist’s experience shows us it is easier said than done. Love sometimes goes against common sense and we cannot always play by the book. Linda’s struggle, therefore, is only more dear to us because we can easily relate to it. In this sense, we are all matadors with the fear and adrenaline of the arena.
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