Review by Kate Gaul
A woman in a lurid and extremely well-made chameleon costume stands at the back of the theatre. It includes a full head dress and tail. She is awkward, unsure and makes an easy connection with the audience as we share our various discomforts. This is Narie Foster. Who is she? A quick google reveals: The systems engineer and former management consultant at Bain & Co. is responsible for product management and operations at M.M. LaFleur, the New York-based e-commerce company outfitting professional women with 4-6 piece 'Bento boxes' of stylish clothes. On stage Narie tells us she is Brooklynite, American, Irish, Canadian, Thai, engineer, entrepreneur, woman, theatre nerd… these are the clubs that Foster is part of, but does she belong in them? This is a piece – neither drama, essay or TED talk – that covers identity, acceptance and (literally, in this chameleon’s case) shedding one’s skin. “1 in a Chameleon” investigates the natural tension between wanting to belong and wanting to be authentically ourselves.
The hour is gently comedic, heartfelt and intelligent. Narie wants to be vulnerable with us, dance with us, laugh and cry with us. Digging into her life story she ponders the concept of belonging and how identity is shaped. It is entirely enthralling. The audience is 100% engaged and when volunteers are called for there is no hesitation from the house. The monologue is released as if thoughts are just occurring to Narie – it has a ramshackle feel that is endearing once we accept that this isn’t our “usual” comedic theatre experience.
Before she resolves the identity crisis, she is confronted with another question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how free are you intuitively?” Foster recreates moments of her life where she had felt freedom at each value. Her genuine and emotional storytelling compels the audience to root for her that she will one day experience freedom at 10.
Narie now advises early-stage startups, teaches and mentors entrepreneurs, and incubates new projects. She considers herself an expert generalist and particularly loves organizing chaos, learning about human behaviour, and solving problems that require both art and science. Outside of the business world, Narie can be found writing, running, turning lunch meetings into philosophical conversations, and helping her scientist parents build an unusual retirement house in the Pacific Northwest. When she cannot be found, it’s because she’s off exploring somewhere new. “1 in a Chameleon” feels like one of her unusual adventures in which she finds willing audiences to reflect to her where she is at.
Is it theatre? I guess we are in a deep phase of personal, intimate story telling in this space. Everyone has a story and “1 in a Chameleon” reminds us that unearthing our hidden stories is valuable. The final images of Nari embracing her Thai heritage with full costume is both moving and revelatory.
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