White Rabbit Red Rabbit - A Tour-De-Force From Both Sides of the Script

Reviewed by Judd Hollander

You come into the Westside Theatre on a Monday evening and see a set consisting of a table, on which have been placed with two glasses of what appears to be water, and a chaise lounge. Next, the actor comes on stage and is handed the script by the producers. It is a script he (or she) has not read until that point. Then, we begin.

Such is the premise for White Rabbit Red Rabbit, a one-person show written by Nassim Soleimanpour. A native of Iran, he was forbidden to travel at the time he wrote the play and so sent it out into the world in his stead. By the time he was allowed to leave his homeland and see a production of this work, it had already been performed - according to the program notes - over 200 times in 15 different languages. White Rabbit Red Rabbit was also the first play Mr. Soleimanpour had written in English - a task which, he explains, was quite hard indeed.

More than a play, White Rabbit Red Rabbit can best be described as a sort of improvisational exercise and "get to know you better" interplay between the actor, the playwright and the audiences members. There were 153 people in the audience the night I saw the show; I personally being number 55. Said actor reading the lines aloud and following tips and scenarios provided by the unseen yet ever-present playwright. It's through this process that the actor and the audience begin to understand what the writer is attempting to do as he works on bringing all those present into the unfolding story.

How the evening actually comes off depends on the person performing the play. Alex Brightman - who recently finished a run in the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical School of Rock - doing the honors the night I attended. Mr. Brightman's strong sense of comedic timing serving him quite well here as he became several different characters during the course of the evening, while speaking both the words of the writer as well as his own. Brightman thus being given the chance to put his own spin on the presentation. He also introduced the audience to his father and his voice teacher. Both of whom were attending the performance that night.

In his script, Mr. Soleimanpour brings up some rather interesting points. Including the relationship of time as it measured in writing a play. He explaining that he is working on the piece at one moment in time, though when his words are actually read aloud, he may not have any idea just who is reading them; or when and where they are being read. Or if he will even be alive when they are spoken. Though the playwright does refer to an email address where people can contact him and comment on the show they have just seen.

Mr. Brightman, who became a footnote in the play's history as first person ever to get the job of performing the show after tweeting that he wanted to do it, certainly got into the spirit of the piece. He throwing himself, quite literally at times, into the various roles he assumed. He also got more than a bit of help from the audience, many of whom were involved at different points and capacities to help bring the work to its desired conclusion.

At the heart of White Rabbit Red Rabbit is a kind of experiment in regards to learned behavior, cause and effect, fear and desire and simulation of the same. These principles coming into focus as the play deals with issues of death, trust, and a core belief system. More than this cannot be revealed without going too deeply into the structure and nature of the work. Though after seeing it performed by one specific person, you can't help but wonder how it would look when performed by another actor with a totally different style; and whether the overall effect of the play would thus change when given a different interpretation.

An involving and in many ways an immersive experience, I found White Rabbit Red Rabbit to be funny, thought-provoking and quite insightful. As for what exactly the title means, and its overall significance in the story, you'll have to see the play yourselves to find out. Something which I strongly recommend you do as soon as possible.

White Rabbit Red Rabbit

Written by Nassim Soleimanpour

Stage Managers: Alexander Crawford & Logan Reed

General Manger: Cheryl Davis

Production Associate: Sally Cade Holmes

Press Representatives: Vivacity Media Group/Leslie Papa & Whitney Holden Gore

Advertising/Marketing: AKA
Social Media: TKP Digital Marketing

White Rabbit Red Rabbit was originally produced by Volcano Theatre in association with Necessary Angel and Wolfgang Hoffmann

Dramaturgy by Daniel Brooks and Ross Manson

A portion of the play's profits will go to PEN International, the world's leading association of writers working to promote literature and defend freedom of expression around the world.

Westside Theatre

407 West 43rd Street

Tickets: 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com

Information: WhiteRabbitRedRabbit.com

Running Time: 65 minutes, no intermission

Currently Running on Monday nights