Ghosts: A Whole New Immersive Theatre
Reviewed by Dana Martin
Dream Walker at Thymele Arts
Through June 16th
Keeping up appearances proves damn near impossible in Ghosts: A Whole New Immersive Theatre, presented by Dream Walker at Thymele Arts in Hollywood. A close adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play 1881 Ghosts, the production is a blend of immersive theatre and traditional storytelling.
Excitable matriarch Helene Alving (Joana Knezevic) prepares to open an orphanage dedicated to her deceased husband, Captain Alving (Jorge Luis Figueroa). Longtime advisor and family friend Pastor Manders (James T. Majewski) suspiciously persuades Helene not to insure the building, citing faith in Divine Providence. The truth slowly unfolds: Helene’s seemingly happy marriage was highly dysfunctional, and her late husband was abusive and philandering. She’s terrified that her son Oswald (Gabriel Jimenez Montez) will follow in his father’s footsteps, and vainly attempts to protect him from the sins of his father. She discovers that Oswald is not only dying of syphilis but has fallen in love with family maid Regina (Lauren Ashton Baker), who, unbeknownst to him, is his half-sister. The secret is revealed and Regina bolts, leaving a despondent, dying Oswald begging for his mother to euthanize him.
Jorge Luis Figueroa effectively provides the silent presence of long deceased Captain Alving. Carissa Songhorian plays the ghost of Johanna, a young maid raped by Captain Alving to become mother to Regina. Songhorian is compelling and sympathetic, revealing her pain and terror through precise and poignant physical expression. Joana Knezevic handles matriarch Helene with emotional veracity. James T. Majewski is fine as the formal, rigid outsider, Pastor Manders. Gabriel Jimenez Montez is brooding and broken as sickly Oswald.
Audience members are encouraged to invest fully in the theatrical experience by sharing fleeting moments of intimacy with each of the play’s characters who wander through the space. This is the production’s most exciting part. Once the formal performance begins, viewers are prevailed upon to change vantage points, although they remain largely outside the play’s action. VIP guests sit at the table in the center of the action, enjoy wine and dessert, and serve as silent guests at an extremely uncomfortable dinner party.
Director Johnghee Woo creates a dark, brooding atmosphere. The play’s action is slow and sustained and the emotion is often overwrought. Video projections, also designed by Woo, create depth and rich texture. Excellent sound design by Davy Sumner is moody and dark, electronic and all-encompassing. Briana Pattillo’s lighting design is innovative and dramatic. Set designer Carlo Maghirang makes the room feel massive by placing a steel frame over a dining room table in the center of the playing area.
While Ghosts: A Whole New Immersive Theatre doesn’t exactly re-invent the wheel, it does attempt to present theatre in a refreshing way. Dream Walker is certainly a company to keep on the radar, as the theatre they’re creating appeals to young people and engages a modern audience. Ghosts… is more than just a play. It’s an experience.
Thymele Arts, 5481 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Performance times vary; through June 16th. https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/5318. one hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.
