Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
As I was looking at the stage, painted half white and half red with a table in the middle and two glasses filled with water, a vial next to them of a possible poison, the indication right from the start was that we would be up to some fun with an experiment.
Then, Raymond O. Caldwell, Artistic Director of the Fountain Theatre, steps onto the stage and enthusiastically introduces a radical experiment of the theatre in which the actors and the audience are a part of the whole experience.
Sandra Tsing Loh takes the challenge into her hands, receiving an envelope containing a script she has never seen before. She opens it, sees it for the very first time, and nobody, including her, knows what is going to happen. The writer, Nassim Soleimanpour, wrote the script many years ago, expecting the audience to go and see the play with an open mind, and just look for the fun and joyful moments. By the way, he tells us that 'Nassim' is a girl's name. Why did he get a girl's name? Well, just a speculation, but maybe his parents were expecting a little girl... we have another little mystery here ...
So, Sandra puts her glasses on, welcomes us, introduces herself, and starts to cold read the script. Each audience member gets a number and... I should stop here, so I don't want to spoil your experience. What a fine job she did, jumping bravely into it and magnificently carrying the show until the very end. Fantastic job, Sandra!
The super fun thing is that every show has a new actor, who does it in his/her own way, making every performance a new opening of the play. He/she is a director and an actor for the very first and only time. My goodness, what an experience this experiment was! The obligatory participation of the white rabbit and a bear, when given an action takes us also by surprise; they jumped in with everything they had. They were alive, and they surely made us laugh. If you like adventure and fun, this is a show for you. I highly recommend it.
White Rabbit Red Rabbit at the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave.in LA (at Normandie) runs from May 11 through June 22 on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Ticket prices are $25 - $45, with premium seating $45, regular seating $40, seniors 65 or older $35 and students with valid ID $25. Monday nights - regular seating ($40) and Pay-What-You-Want (subject to availability).
There is a secure on-site parking for only $5 and some street parking is available on nearby streets. For tickets contact the Fountain theatre at (323) 663-1525 or go to www.FountainTheatre.com