Doing Time With Lavinia

Doing Time With Lavinia from my standard can only be described as a vivacious, vibrant vortex of theatrical verve categorized with just the right dosing of zaniness, emotionalism, and melodic brilliance. Truly, this one-woman musical is as crazy as it is endearing, and the fact that I neglected my editorial notebook because I couldn’t take my eyes off of the stage the entire length of the show says a lot about just how captivating it was!

The musical follows its flamboyant figurehead, a washed-up showgirl named Lavinia who is stuck in a rancid prison cell immersively seducing the audience into the remnants and ruckus of her life’s story as a starry-eyed performer.

Decked to the nines in silver, shining platform heels, a miasma of flocculent fur, dazzling color, and an impervious dream, Lavinia shares both her wonders and woes of navigating the dark side of the performance industry. Drugs, sex, and rock n’ roll are all wrapped in the shimmery decadent deceit of false promises. Still, despite the waves of uncertainty and washes of rose-colored limelight and searching for her purpose amongst the crowd keeps Lavinia going. The audience cannot help but feel sentiment for her forgotten innocence and rouse for her genuine, charming ambition.

Susan Campanaro the brilliant actress portraying Lavinia performs with such flair and vitality that it is hard not to enjoy her presence on stage. Her boisterous physicality, expressiveness in language, talent with improv, cleverness in the space, and pristine duality of transformation between her story’s characters is as gripping as it is delightful. If anything, Campanaro’s sultry drawl of impeccable singing is sure to win the hearts of theatregoers everywhere.

There is something to be said about how satisfying the show’s conclusion was. I wasn’t sure how it was going to end and honestly, part of me didn’t want it to. However, Campanaro’s spirit decadently fell over us viewers like glitter as she left an impassioned message to us waltzing through life’s challenges, hopefully now with a bit of pep in our step: “As long as there’s music, I’m breathing. As long as I’m breathing, I’ll just keep going.” Oh, keep going, we shall.

Doing Time With Lavinia

Starring: Susan Campanaro

Performed on: October 25, 2026

at The 21st Annual United Solo Theatre Festival

October 19 - November 22, 2026

Reviewer: Grayson Sebert