The play that no one knows — not even the actors
White Rabbit Red Rabbit, the global sensation by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour explores the restrictions, censorship and denial of individual choice faced under a harsh regime. A theater experience like no other.
At each performance, a different actor will step onto the stage and be handed a script they’ve never seen before. No rehearsal, no director. Every night is opening night — no repeats. At the top of each week, a different set of “rabbits” will be revealed.
Oh, and there’s free baklava in the cafe after the show.
REVIEWS
Los Angeles Times - “‘White Rabbit Red Rabbit,’ with a new star every night, opens at the Fountain… and the less I tell you about it, the better… a theatrical message in a bottle… [playwright] Soleimanpour is known for his “cold read plays,” which are performed by an actor immediately after receiving the script in front of an equally unprepared audience. Mystery is built into the theatrical experience.” — Charles McNulty
Discover Hollywood - “SUPER FUN… nobody, including [the actor], knows what is going to happen…. If you like adventure and fun, this is a show for you. I highly recommend it.” — Amalisha HuEck
On Stage Los Angeles - “VERY EXCITING… unlike any scripted theatre piece I’ve ever seen or heard about… anything might happen… Every show is brand new. Every iteration features only one actor… The beauty of this amazing idea is that the flow and success of the script turns on how committed the actor is to following the stage directions and to what degree the audience comes to their aid… Bring a carrot. There may or may not be poison. There may or may not be danger… YOU’LL WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN. I hope the Fountain may entertain an idea to encourage appreciative audiences to return. I hope to. And, there's baklava!” — Michael Sheehan
Stage and Cinema (1) - “INTERESTING AND PROVOCATIVE… [playwright] Soleimanpour has created a fascinating moral kōan, and like any kōan its value is found in engaging with it... The Fountain Theatre has provided its audience with the unique opportunity to do just that.” — Ernest Kearney
Stage and Cinema (2) - “The concept sounded so intriguing that I begged to review this experimental theatre piece, White Rabbit, Red Rabbit by Iranian German playwright Nassim Soleimanpour. The hook is that every performance is an “opening night” because every performance features a new actor who has never seen the script, has no one directing their performance, and is reading cold and acting from a hand-held script, with no rehearsal, for the first and ONLY time, since they can never do again. One and done. No do overs… UNIQUE… If you’re up for the unconventional, you’ll find it here.” — Sarah Spitz
by Nassim Soleimanpour
directed by everyone and no one
starring a great mystery
Box Office:
323-663-1525
Show Days: 11 - Curtain
Dark Days: 11 - 6pm
Closed Tuesday
Preview: May 10, 8pm
Open: May 11, 7pm
Close: June 22, 2pm
Fridays & Saturdays 8pm
Sundays 2pm
Pay What You Want Mondays 8pm
Barred from leaving Iran for refusing military service, Soleimanpour conceived White Rabbit Red Rabbit as “message in a bottle” — a way to use the actor’s voice to communicate the experiences of an entire generation living in a restrictive, harshly censored society directly to the audience. Wild and utterly original, the play explores themes of freedom, control and the human condition, with a focus on the lives of young people. It’s emotionally vulnerable at times, hilarious at others, and always pushing the boundaries of what it means to be present: spontaneous, playful, interactive and unpredictable. Join the Fountain team for a piece of baklava and a conversation in the upstairs café after every performance.
White Rabbit Red Rabbit has been translated into over 30 languages and performed over 3,000 times worldwide. According to the UK Guardian, “We're asked to consider risk, complicity and conformity, but ultimately White Rabbit Red Rabbit explores the laws of live theater — the way in which an audience lets disbelief ebb and flow; our pleasure in watching an event take shape even without rehearsal.”
PRESS
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