Not Everyone’s Piece of Cake

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit –  Interrobang Theatre Project 

 

The premise of this performance piece (there’s a hesitation in calling this bare bones production an actual “play”) is that it truly creates the illusion of the first time, which is, of course, the goal of every theatrical production. A completely different actor stars in each performance and, unless the actor has previously seen this play performed, he knows nothing about it. Without the guidance of a director, with no rehearsals, costumes or stage setting, and just a handful of props, the lone thespian begins. He reads aloud, for the first time, the script by award-winning Iranian playwright, Nassim Soleimanpour. The fun of this allegorical piece is in seeing how various performers handle the playwright’s work. 

The actor reads that “the play you will see is sealed inside this envelope. The actor who will perform this play has never seen it, and they’ve only been told what is absolutely necessary: Once you start, you must finish…no matter what!”

 

The playwright wrote this global sensation from Iran, in the not-so-distant past. It’s good to know that Soleimanpour escaped his repressive homeland and is now living in Berlin with his wife. His words escaped censorship and await each new actor and his audience. The piece has been performed hundreds of times all over the world. In New York, actors like Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, Brian Dennehy, Cynthia Nixon and Alan Cumming are just a few of the celebrities who’ve undertaken this theatrical challenge. In the blink of an eye, this 75-minute performance piece cleverly turns from theatrical entertainment into a social experiment, as various audience members are asked to participate in the evening’s production. 

In spite of its creative and very inventive intention, this is a difficult piece for some theatergoers to appreciate. It provides, of course, a different performance every time this “play” is produced. That’s exciting for both the actor and the audience; and watching a new performer wrestle with this script each Monday night is fascinating. But the performance this writer experienced by JD Caudill simply felt a little too improvisational. It might’ve been a more meaningful evening had the actor stuck more to the script. JD Caudill, who brings a variety of savvy theatre experience to their performance, was chipper and enthusiastic while handling the material. The 40-member audience on October 1st seemed comprised primarily of Caudill’s buddies and co-workers, who admirably supported the actor. But Caudill’s constant ad libs, and their “I added that” became a little annoying and seemed to be playing particularly to their friends. 

Every Monday evening heralds a new performer who’ll take on this challenging script. Each actor and his audience is bound to exert a different dynamic over this thought-provoking performance piece, making each performance different and unique. And while this experimental performance piece will probably not be everyone’s piece of cake, it’s certainly a provocative, mind-bending evening in the theatre that is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

White Rabbit Red Rabbit will be performed according to the following calendar:

Stephanie Shum (September 24)

JD Caudill (October 1)

Echaka Agba (October 8)

Michael Turrentine (October 15)

Joe Lino (October 22)

David Cerda (October 29)

Shawna Franks (November 5)

Owais Ahmed (November 12)

Somewhat Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas 

 

Presented September 24-November 12 by Interrobang Theatre Project at the Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the Den box office, by calling 312-219-4140 or by going to www.interrobangtheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.