Spiritual Ecstasy
Reviewed by Vanessa Cate
The Lounge Theatre (Hollywood Fringe Festival)
Through June 16
While I am loath to rigidly define what is or is not “theatre”, it is admittedly a challenge reviewing Spiritual Ecstasy. “Sound Freak” Medical Intuitive Rebecca Dru and Spiritual Alchemist Misti Cooper invite you to take part in an interactive New Age round table. Dru and Cooper talk briefly about their work, then get to the nitty gritty of what is at the spiritual core of each audience member.
The audience is tasked with filling out a very brief questionnaire: “Why do you think you are here tonight?” “Do u allow yourself to listen and act on your gut instincts?” “If you could be doing anything with your life, what would it be?” “What do you love most about yourself?”
My job is not to attempt to review spiritual merits — so I’ll leave my own beliefs and impressions out of it — but to cover the theatrical quality of the production. Since neither plot, writing, acting, design, or even art are elements to consider here, I can merely comment on the uniqueness of the experience.
Whether you are inclined to believe these mystics or not, the show still has value in terms of its distinctiveness. For myself, I learned that I am drawn to Japan because I have past-life karma there. I got to hold a flourite skull named “Skully”. I got to brandish an energy wand and dispel invisible ties that bind me. I got to chant and meditate, and I had a New Age guru do energy work on me. After watching an evening full of performances of varying quality, this show was the one that left the biggest impression.
Whether the goal of dramatic art is to entertain or incite retrospection, Spiritual Ecstacy, strangely enough, fits the bill. Consider it a New Age take on immersive theatre.
The Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood; Wednesday June 13th 6 p.m. & Saturday June 16th 10 p.m.; https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/5282?tab=tickets Running time: approximately one hour.
