On my way out of the student store the other day (after an excruciating experience purchasing over-priced textbooks) I came across a bin full of those lovely little bookmark shaped Berkeley Rep fliers, but this time with Carrie Fisher’s smug-looking face on them. Yes, Carrie Fisher as in Princess Leia from Star Wars. At first a bit bewildered, I picked up the flier only to become a bit more bewildered after reading it. Fisher, whose career was arguably ruined by the success of the Star Wars franchise, is to perform her one-woman show Wishful Drinking at Berkeley Rep starting February 8th. I have to admit my first thought was something along the lines of: “Hmm, sounds like something Lindsay Lohan might produce 20 years from now”. That is if she makes it 20 more years.

Fisher was made famous by her role as Princess Leia but in the years following she became infamous for a drug addiction, and well, just being a little on the crazy side. In fact, the only other time, aside from Star Wars, that I personally have seen her in a film was for her role as Elwood’s psycho, rifle-toting girlfriend in The Blues Brothers. Of course, she’s done other work as well, but ever since she uttered the lines “Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope”, Fisher has been pretty much inseparable from the character that made her an international star. In 1987 she wrote a semi-autobiographical novel, Postcards from the Edge, which was well received by readers. For those of you that watched the mildly interesting and short-lived 2007 Fox reality show On The Lot, where aspiring film directors participated in an American Idol style competition, you’ll remember her as one of the regular judges.

As the bookmark- flier proclaims, Carrie Fisher is indeed a movie star, a best-selling author, and a Hollywood legend. But what is more interesting is the fact that she is a Hollywood survivor. This lady has been through a lot, and it is admirable that she has made it through her life in pretty much one piece. So while Wishful Drinking may at first glance seem like just an opportunity for Fisher to display some form of insanity, this performance may actually allow fans get to know the real Carrie Fisher, apart from Princess Leia. Not to mention the insight from the mind of someone who has been through the chaotic Hollywood whirlwind of fame and defamation. That seems like something not to miss.

Finally, to contradict my own point: Come on guys, after all, it is Princess Leia!

For tickets and show times check out Berkeley Rep on the web.

–Arielle Little

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