White Rabbit Red Rabbit is not like any other play. Each night, a different actor performs it for the first and only time. No rehearsals. No director. No do-over.
American Stage has officially announced the 15 actors taking on the wild ride that is White Rabbit Red Rabbit. This is the first production in their new “Beyond the Stage” series. True to its name, “Beyond the Stage” asks audiences and performers alike to step out of the theatre and into their own backyard to engage in new ways of storytelling. White Rabbit Red Rabbit does just that, taking audiences to places like a historic church, university, museum and warehouse .
“This ingeniously written play charms you with its insight into captivity, conditioning and learned behaviors,” said Helen R. Murray, Producing Artistic Director at American Stage. “It is magical, surprising, and asks us to question how we think even more than what we think. And it does it while we are laughing and delighting at an incredibly entertaining piece of theatre. I can't wait to share it with our community, because the way it bonds an audience is unforgettably unique.”
Written by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, White Rabbit Red Rabbit was conceived when he was barred from leaving the country for refusing military service. The play became a “message in a bottle,” communicating the lived experiences of an entire generation under harsh censorship. By the time Soleimanpour was able to travel again, White Rabbit Red Rabbit had gone global, with performances held in over 30 languages.
Despite the play’s impressive mileage, the plot has largely remained a secret– a concerted effort by both the actors and the audience.
“I’ve had a number of friends that have done White Rabbit Red Rabbit, but I’ve never been able to see it,” says cast member Georgia Mallory Guy, Producing Art Director of ThinkTank: a Tampa-based theatre that amplifies the voices of young creatives through youth-centric productions.
Actors are urged to sequester themselves from all things White Rabbit Red Rabbit leading up to the performance; that means no Googling, discussing amongst other actors, tweeting (or is it “X-ing?”) and most importantly, no rehearsing. That premise may be daunting to some, empowering to others. Some find it to be a mix of both.
“It’s going to be scary and amazing, and I honestly can’t wait to do it,” says Mallory Guy. It’s one of the reasons she recommends seeing the play at least twice, comparing it to a nebula. Ever-changing, and ever-spectacular.
Sarasota-based actor, educator, and director Travis Ray predicts White Rabbit Red Rabbit will be equally rewarding for its performers.
“I think that this show is allowing artists like me to play,” he says. Ray is the Director of Advancement for Urbanite Theatre, which focuses on bringing thought-provoking new works to Sarasota. Ray is tackling White Rabbit Red Rabbit at The Woodson African American Museum of Florida.
Travis doesn’t see the inability to rehearse as a hindrance, but as an opportunity to engage in a new way of storytelling…and maybe even improvise a bit, too.
“I was always surrounded by people who weren’t in the field of theatre, but were great storytellers,” he says. “I think the thing about being a good storyteller is loving the story that you’re telling, finding ways to engage your audience, and being excited about what you’re saying, which in itself is engaging. That’s what I try to do no matter what.”
White Rabbit Red Rabbit runs November 2-19 in various locations across Tampa Bay.
More Information
White Rabbit Red Rabbit
Written by Nassim Soleimanpour
DESCRIPTION:
In this special production, our actors only have one chance to win over the audience. Each performance, a different actor steps on stage to present White Rabbit Red Rabbit, with a script they’ve never seen before. It’s emotionally vulnerable at times and hilarious at others. No do-overs. No repeats. No encores. A theatrical journey into the unknown that holds endless possibilities each time you experience it.
TIMES & PRICES:
The Savant on 2nd - 634 2nd Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Nov. 2nd, 7PM - Dylan Barlowe
Nov. 3rd, 7PM - Gavin Hawk
USF Tampa Theatre Centre - 3837 USF Holly Drive, Tampa, FL 33620
Nov. 4th, 2PM - Mona Lim
Nov. 4th, 7PM - David Jenkins
Nov. 5th, 2pm - Anthony Gervais
Historic Bethel AME - 912 3rd Ave North, St. Petersburg, FL 33705
Nov. 9th, 7PM - Georgia Mallory Guy
Nov. 10th, 7PM - Fanni Green
The Factory, 2622 Fairfield Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Nov. 11th, 2PM - Ivy Sunflower
Nov. 11th, 7PM - Tito Mercado
Nov. 12th, 2PM - John Millsap
WADA ArtsXchange - 515 22nd Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Nov. 16th, 7PM - Beth Gelman
Nov. 17th, 7PM - Lance Markeith
The Woodson - 2240 9th Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712-
Nov. 18th, 2PM - Gabriel Ortiz
Nov. 18th, 7PM - Andrida Hosey
Nov. 19th, 2PM - Travis Ray
All performances are $30 General Admission