Written by Nassim Soleimanpour (before the turn of the 20th Century) White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is a theatre piece whose reputation proceeds it. The actor who performs the show goes in with no idea of what the script will say, or what demands it will impose. We would be loathe to discuss White Rabbit, Red Rabbit after the piece is completed, as it would ruin the surprise. And the surprise is an aspect of what makes this conceptual show tick. When I say “conceptual” I don’t mean what you might expect, say, in a contemporary version of Macbeth, or a drama performed completely in the dark. During the talkback, it was suggested that each individual actor puts their own spin on the content, which, of course, only stands to reason.
The version I attended felt, initially, like an absurd, comedic improvisation, relying heavily on audience participation. I myself was called upon the stage to play a part. Throughout the show audience members were involved in the “plot”, the actor no wiser than the rest of us. We all occupied the same boat. The whole business felt spontaneous, fanciful, yet something like ritual. One performer and the audience as witnesses, all flying by the seat of our trousers. One surprise after another. Now certainly, it would be the same, for anyone watching a play they’d never seen before. But here, the actor is feeling his way through this narrative, following the script as if it were a map. Leading us from one event to the next. Imagine if the performer reached into a black box, each time extracting something different. A porkpie hat. A jar of buttons. A red Asian fan. A transistor radio from the 60’s.
How much more can I say, without spoiling the journey? Soleimanpour, like any good playwright, has carefully constructed a narrative that pulls us in. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is cunning. Subversive. It turns on tone shift. A whirligig that changes into a vase of lilies, then a bear trap. Not literally, but I’m groping for metaphors. Every step in this hopscotch has a purpose, though it often feels giddy and whimsical. It lulls us, only to sneak up like a fever chill. Much as it would appear easily dismissed, it gets under our skin.
This was my first visit to Allen’s Community Theatre, and I was more than impressed. To take a show like this, with its seemingly sparse components, and create an enigmatic, beguiling drama. It needs confidence, chutzpah and lack of caution to make this work. Like the chef who takes a few eggs and remarkable skill, only to manage a souffle both rich and sublime, ACT has pulled off a marvelous feat. I only regret I saw it on the last night of the run. I guarantee I will be back for more.
Allen’s Community Theatre: 1210 East Main Street # 300, Allen, Texas, 75002. SW Corner of East Main and Allen Heights Drive. 844-822-8849.