What’s in a name?
Multidisciplinary artist goes beyond the pages of Don Quixote in the Canadian premiere of Dulcinea’s Lament
What happens when you are named after an idealized female character from one of the greatest books of all-time? If you’re Dulcinea Langfelder, you create theatre—or something that looks kind-of like it.
A native New Yorker, Langfelder’s company is anchored in Montreal and showcased around the world before landing in front of a Montreal audience. Dulcinea’s Lament, running this week at the D.B. Clarke theatre, is an innovative piece using film, projection, dance, puppetry and song (to name a few).
A self-proclaimed multidisciplinary personality, Langfelder doesn’t let the guidelines of what theatre should be, determine what she does and how she tells her story. “My work is very personal [and] often autobiographical. Kind of like opening up your diary on stage,” she shared during our phone interview.
Named after the unseen love interest Dulcinea del Toboso in Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Langfelder has always made references to her literary namesake. However, this is the first time it has been her vehicle in storytelling; if Dulcinea del Toboso had a voice, what would she say?
The piece had a long creative process that started in 2001, as the world was changing in the wake of 9/11 and she began to discover the Internet for herself; finding knowledge at her fingertips.
Dulcinea’s Lament grew through discovery and research, becoming a personal quest for Langfelder through the lens of Cevantes’ fictional del Toboso.
The piece asks poignant questions; what happens after righteousness fails? Who is underneath the ideal woman? Can she have a voice? These hard questions are explored in a whimsical fashion, often having Langfelder adorned in sequence, or just simply a sheet.
Although it may be more enjoyable for those who have read Don Quixote, it isn’t a prerequisite for appreciating the journey that is Dulcinea’s Lament.
Dulcinea’s Lament starts tomorrow and runs until Nov. 19 at the D.B. Clarke Theatre (1455 de Maisonneuve W.) at 8 p.m. with a matinee on Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $28, $22 for students, (514) 790-1245.
This article was published November 11th 2008 from the Link and can be found in their archive.
