“The last Bonaparte”: a work that demystifies the taboo of frigidity

Silvia Pérez took on the challenge of making two different characters and at the same time with many things in common. Credit: Credit: BMZ Communications.

Talking about anorgasmia in modern times is neither surprising nor embarrassing. The writer Marie Bonaparte (France1882) is today the referent of Silvia Perez, sex symbol of the eighties. The artist is the visible face of the docudrama “The Last Bonaparte”. It deals with the story of Marie, great-grandniece of Napoleon Bonaparte and follower of the psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud. Bonaparte, who died in 1962 of leukemia, is known as a researcher of her own frigidity at the turn of the 20th century.

In the context of the success of “The Last Bonaparte”, Footnote spoke with Silvia Pérez, who spoke about her experience in the work.

Also participating in the Buenos Aires staging: the actor Mauro Alvarez; the musician Agustin Busquete; Walter Hugo Ghedin in his writing and, in the dramaturgy and direction, Dennis Smith. It takes place every Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Chamber of the Muses (Mario Bravo 960, CABA). Tickets can be purchased through Theatrical Alternative Y The dressing room of the muses.

In “Marie Bonaparte”, the director Mauro Álvarez will take Silvia Pérez, throughout a day of study, on a journey through her personal history and that of Marie. All this from interviews, voice-over sessions and dubbing. Thus, little by little the limits between fiction and reality will blur. The former vedette will not want to lose control and will question: Why would someone like her who has sexual appeal want to play a person who suffered from the inability to feel orgasms?

During one of the most emotional scenes is when the image of Marie Bonaparte confronts Silvia Pérez as if they were two friends talking about their desires. Credit: BMZ communications.

undressing the intimacy

Since 1980, Silvia Pérez is a renowned Argentine film, theater and television actress. she worked with the capocomic Alberto Olmedo. In addition, she prepared herself as an actor with teachers such as Charles Gandolfo, July Chavez, Augusto Fernandez Y Roxana Randon.

His latest works include: the film with Louis Ziembrowski, “Uncle’s Tale”; “Incarnation” of Anahi Berneri and on television “Sunday Delorean”beside Atilio Veronelli. Now, in 2022, with resounding success, she lives the world of tables with “The Last Bonaparte”.

This docudrama allows her to intertwine moments of her intimate life and emotions compared to the time when her body was the object of desire. All this together with the image of the psychoanalyst Marie Bonaparte, who suffers from not feeling orgasms. Two souls that came together to question the importance of desire.

How did the idea of ​​working on “The Last Bonaparte” come about?

Talking with my friend, psychiatrist and sexologist, Walter GhedinHe told me he was writing the story. I immediately said I wanted to do it. It was an impulse that made me decide without thinking about it, I had the need to say what I want to do as this woman.

How do you feel working together with Mauro Álvarez?

It’s fantastic. we met together with Denis Smith Y Agustin Busquetand. We began to stand out in our trade and I saw that he had a way of working that was the same as mine; of getting the best, of perfectionism. Every Saturday we meet two hours before the performance to pass lyrics, and we discover more of our characters on stage.

In the docudrama two different characters are opposed, but, at the same time, it seems that there is a similarity between you and Marie Bonaparte

We have encounters and disagreements. We are both warriors, Bonaparte is more associated with war, but in my life I fight for what I want. Although there is talk of Marie who suffered from anorgasmia and went out in search of solving this problem or finding pleasure; There is also this search for a person like me, who worked as a sex symbol for a long time. What happened to her with pleasure in that environment, what it had to do with the exposure of the body in society, with what happens in my private forum. I associate it a little with what she went through, beyond finding that pleasure in an orgasm; the pleasure of leaving her place at that time to study, be a researcher, be with Freud, be a pioneer in psychoanalysis.

Mauro Álvarez accompanies Silvia Pérez in the course of “The last part”. Credit: BMZ communications.

Was it difficult for you to talk about yourself and do catharsis?

Yes, at first I didn’t realize it, and in the development I was discovering my soul. At some point while we were working together with Deni, I had a problem, a little step that didn’t work out for me with the music, but then I gave in. Each function is mobilizing. Going through the sex symbol place, I went through a lot of pain that led me to be who I am. But there are also situations told with humor. I looked for various facets of myself, to put them on stage.

Marie Bonaparte was a psychoanalyst, are you in favor of this therapy?

Very little. I studied and did therapy Gestalt for a year. It helped me, but I am not a supporter of psychoanalysis, in my case, I chose the path towards spirituality. And I keep digging, searching inside myself.

The staging, beyond sex, does it reflect the need to feel pleasure?

Without a doubt, with the reflections of my life like that of Marie. Where do we find pleasure? In what they tell us we should find it? What can we decide or choose? The search is in what society commands, our parents. A lot of things from the outside that allow us to choose.

If you had a face with Marie Bonaparte, what would you say to her?

In the final speech of the work, there is a look with his image that moves me. And perhaps I would say to him: “Thank you for having done what you did, you managed in some way for life to put me in contact with you and bring out what is inside of me, make it known to people.”

Why should the public be encouraged to see “The Last Bonaparte”?

Playing Marie is a relief, it’s blissful and magical. They will laugh, get excited and reflect because we can all leave behind what happened in childhood with love and decide which way we want to go in life.

“The last Bonaparte”: a work that demystifies the taboo of frigidity – Nota Al Pie