A review by Suzanne Birrell.
Davey Johnson and Catie LeOrisa
If Ionesco is your cup of tea, you will definitely enjoy The Exit Interview (An Existential Comedy) now playing at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood.
The Exit Interview is wacky fun, extremely witty, thought provoking and inspires subsequent conversation and reminiscent laughter. Written by William Missouri Downs and ably directed by Sirena Irwin the play does everything an existential comedy should do; in attempting to find meaning in the human condition the characters realize the absurdity of attempting to find any meaning. And it does all this with frequent commentary about and references to the German Playwright Bertolt Brecht, inspiration from Jean Paul Sarte's
No Exit, and featuring a parody of
Mack the Knife from
Three Penny Opera (by Kurt Weil and Brecht).(Although knowledge of any of the above is not necessary to the enjoyment of the play)
(Left- Rich Hutchman and Davey Johnson)
The Exit Interview is just that: A man has been fired and HR is conducting an exit interview. Meanwhile a gunman is loose in the building. There are commercial interruptions, sketch comedy scenes that have nothing to do with the main plot but somehow seem to fit, news bulletins, and a rat. The subject matter goes from politics to religion to bathroom jokes to philosophy to the economy. Nothing is sacred in this wacky comedy, but it does address some serious current issues.
Richard (a real dick) Fig is played with inquisitive vim and verbal vigor by Davey Johnson. Eunice is played with hysterical conviction by Catie LeOrisa. The rest of the energetic cast play multiple characters and dialects. Jocelyn O'Keefe, Gina Torrecilla, Yumi Iwama, Ryan Phillips, Wayne Wilderson and Rich Hutchman are all having way too much fun and laughter is the order of the day. All performances were spot on.
The Exit Interview is one of those rare plays that could entertain those who do not usually enjoy live theatre- those who think that theatre in and of itself is absurd will definitely get a kick out of this one.
(Right-Ryan Phillips, Beth Pennington and Rich Hutchman in a commercial interruption.)
A great show, a real conversation starter. You'll talk about this one for days. And for the record, I do play the oboe. (You'll have to see the play to get this.)
Produced by Buzzworks Theater Company, The Exit Interview ( An Existential Comedy) is playing Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. through November 15 at the Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038.
For more info and reservations: (323) 960-7712; https://www.plays411.net/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=4362
(Left- Yumi Iwama and Wayne Wilderson)
Don't miss this one!