I had the pleasure of attending the United Solo Theatre Festival to see a performance of Baba on October 8th at Theatre Row. Written and performed by Alex Mahgoub and directed by Armando Merlo, Baba took part in the 5th anniversary of the United Solo Theatre Festival.
Alex Mahgoub was actually inspired to perform his own solo show after his friend Armando Merlo’s solo show, Salamander Starts Over, was presented at the NYC Fringe Festival. Salamander Starts Over actually went on to win a FringeNYC Solo Show Excellence Award in 2012. Alex Mahgoub’s Baba was a rollercoaster ride of emotions and laughter. A real tearjerker, Alex Mahgoub recounts his childhood to the audience from the happy times to the not so happy times. This performance showcases the fact that everyone has a past that has shaped them in some way or other into the person that they grow up to be. The pain, struggle, tears, and laughter demonstrate what it took to mold Alex Mahgoub to be the person and performer that he is today.
If this is the type of performance that we can expect from Alex Mahgoub then I am very excited to see what is next from him. Due to the fact that I also lost my father at a young age, I could relate to a lot of the emotions that Alex felt during that time, was feeling during the show and is probably still feeling. There is no doubt in my mind that the audience that night also felt those emotions and enjoyed the show as much as I did.
To learn more about Alex Mahgoub make sure to visit his website at www.AlexMahgoub.com. If you want to check out the other shows that are a part of the United Solo Theatre you can visit www.unitedsolo.org.
Twisted Talk: Did you catch a performance of Baba? If not would you go and see Baba if it is performed again? Discuss below!
