My overall impression
Kyla Garcia’s The Mermaid Who Learned To Fly is a one-woman show that’s part autobiography, part fairy tale and part performance art. It tells the tail (sic) of Victoria Valentin, a starry eyed dreamer who yearns to be a writer. Garcia, who both writes and performs, is a delight. As she reenacts scenes from her past, characters she met along the way come to life: a brash but insightful New Jersey psychic; a not-so-insightful therapist; and even both of her lovers. Garcia’s comic timing is flawless, as are her acting chops. Her mother’s grief becomes as palpable as the tears steaming down her face. Victoria’s story is co-narrated by her Fairy, whose “heartbeat is tied to one human dreamer.” What her fairy encourages us to shout out mid-performance is clearly in evidence here: “Hey Victoria (Kyla) you’re supposed to be writing!” – and magically, she is!
