Tree

Reviewed by Inger Tudor

Hollywood Fringe

Through June 25

RECOMMENDED

If a tree falls in the forest . . . will it try to become a human?

You’ll have to see the solo performance of Tree,starring Natasha Mercado, to find out the answer. Mercado’s show is accurately self-described as “an immersive comedy experience that’s part clown show, part game show, part philosophical discussion on humanity.” She is delightful as a tree who ponders whether the grass is greener as a human and continuously interacts with the audience in her exploration of this query.

Adept at eliciting participation, Mercado casts different sections of patrons as various parts of the forest and poses questions with her make-believe game show titled, “Would You Rather,” that allow her to contemplate issues like whether a human would prefer to be seen as beautiful by everyone versus contributing carbon dioxide so trees can produce more oxygen. The correct answer is seldom what you would expect and viewers are quickly recast as participants in each scenario she plays out.

Mercado is a master comic storyteller, who pulls you in from the outset, swiftly incorporating crowd input and reactions throughout. Even when she is not speaking, she conveys a world with just a look and a nod. With the adroit direction of Deanna Fleysher (also credited as a co-writer), poignant moments are particularly resonant in contrast to the almost non-stop hilarity. The show has an unexpected twist that I won’t reveal, but by the end you may find yourself pondering if you’d prefer to be a tree. This is definitely a solo performance to see.

https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/search?mode=all_events&search_terms=natasha%20mercado%20tree.   Running time: 50 minutes