NY Review: 'My Life With Men…and Other Animals'

America's energy problem would be solved if we could store the voltage emanating from Maria Cassi at the 45th Street Theatre. In her one-woman play with music "My Life With Men…and Other Animals," she blazes through a history of her life in a blend of charming English-Italian patter, hilarious clowning, and poignant songs. Cassi, a native of Florence, where she is the artistic director of Teatro del Sale, speaks little English, but her rubbery face and eloquent body more than make up for her verbal shortcomings.

"My Life With Men…and Other Animals" is divided into nine cantos, a reference to Dante's "Divine Comedy" (Dante being a fellow Florentine). Cassi begins with her childhood in Florence, illustrating how she learned English from pop songs and movies. A scene in which she locks the front door of her house at the bidding of her fear-ridden, overly cautious mother is delicious physical comedy. A trip to America as part of an international arts festival forms the central part of her narrative. Her love-fear reaction to New York makes her sojourn here a bit of a purgatory and impels her to return to Florence, which becomes paradise when she meets and marries her Beatrice, a volcanic chef named Fabio.

As director, Peter Schneider, producer of "The Lion King" and various animated Disney movies, allows the originality of Cassi's persona to shine through, adding just enough pacing to allow her—and us—to breathe. With noted journalist Patrick Pacheco, he shapes her memoir but stays out of its way, allowing Cassi to be her irresistible self. However, Cassi's story comes across more like a necklace of bright episodes than a fully sewn garment, with the cantos resembling turns rather than scenes in a play. The final canto, which details the death of a close friend, feels added on, although it does provide a launching pad for the evening's emotional highpoint, a stirring rendition of the Beatles' song "In My Life."

William Ivey Long's contribution to the production, Cassi's black slacks and striped shirt, is simple but dead-on for the character. Gianni Carluccio's set, with its ropes, scrims, and open playing space, is a smart mixture of theatricality and simplicity. Valeria Palermo's projections provide welcome translations for English-only audience members.

"My Life With Men…and Other Animals" will not suit everyone. Its form is that of a spoken-word revusical rather than a traditional drama, and Cassi's halting acquaintance with our language will be off-putting for some. But those who believe it's salutary to witness the work of a master artist will be amply rewarded for spending time with the magnetic and delightful Maria Cassi.

Presented by Change Performing Arts and Teatro del Sale at the 45th Street Theatre, 354 W. 45th St., NYC. March 15–18. Thu. and Sun., 3 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 8 p.m. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, www.theatermania.com, or www.mylifewithmenandotheranimals,com.