“Between her naps” and the ability to take motherhood with humor

In “Between their naps,” the comedy that premieres this Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Buenos Aires theater La Carpintería, its author Brenda Howlin, who makes her debut in a tripartite direction, stages, appealing to humor, but also lyricism, the multiple changes that generates the arrival of a baby in a couple.

“Since I became a mother, that is the most important thing that happened to me in my life. It conflicts me, makes me bitter and makes me immensely happy,” tells Télam Howlin, mother of Lila (7 years old) and Dylan (4), who She graduated from the School of Dramatic Arts as an actress and completed a Master’s Degree in Dramaturgy from the National University of Art.

“Entre sus siestas”, also directed by Flor Micha and Santiago Swi, stars Débora Zanolli and Martín Tecchi and can be seen, always in the theater located at Jean Jaures 858, on Sundays the 5th and 12th, at 8pm, on Saturday the 25th at 8:30 p.m. and Friday, December 1 at 10:15 p.m.

Télam: What is your trajectory regarding this topic: motherhood?

Brenda Howlin: Since I became a mother, the issue has been present. It conflicts me, makes me bitter and makes me immensely happy. It is, for me, an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In 2016 Lila was born and in 2019 Dylan. I was a scriptwriter and star of the documentary “Ama”, by Silvina Estévez, in which I acted with my three-month-old daughter. Later I wrote the documentary “Years short eternal days” (also directed by Estévez in 2021) in which I participated with my children. It is an observational documentary about the postpartum period that asks about the role of motherhood and how much courage it takes to choose to be a mother and also to choose not to be one. This documentary had a wonderful tour of national and international festivals and won the post-production Coral award at the Havana Film Festival.

T: There was also a series…

BH: I was also the scriptwriter of the docu-fiction TV series “I don’t know how to return”, with four chapters, which was released on the Flow platform and which tells the story of four women going through the postpartum period who face the challenge of returning to work after maternity leave.

T: Now you take the theme to the theater in “Entre tus siestas”…

BH: I propose to approach this topic from fiction in a comedic tone. It is a work of physical theater, which immerses itself in the postpartum period of a mother, who faces the contradiction between her love for her son and the total loss of her life. She has the house turned upside down, she is overwhelmed by sleep, with no room for her partner and with the baby attached to her tits, but she will try to write her book.

T: Contrary to previous experiences, in this work you also include the couple, the father of the child…

BH: Yes. Because it affects men too. Society asks them not to abandon their work activity. They have little license and also experience lack of sleep, their partner’s libido being focused on the baby. Then the character comes home from work and falls exhausted. The work incorporates the other vision, that of the companion who is a participant in this story.

T: Can a situation as stressful as the arrival of a baby be taken with humor?

BH: If you look at it the right way, motherhood can be hilarious. Without a doubt, in the work we focus on side B, the incorrect side of motherhood. But also, focus on the poetic side, based on dance and movement. For that, Débora Zanolli, the protagonist, who is also a dancer, is ideal. That is why certain situations like childbirth become a dance.

T: Do you conceive of childbirth as a journey?

BH: It’s a physical and emotional journey. It is an animal trance that takes you away from civilization and everyday life to connect with yourself and your baby.