Zombie Joe’s F*cked Up Easter Egg Hunt
Reviewed by Joseph Klink
ZJU Theatre Group
Through April 16
RECOMMENDED
Zombie Joe’s F*cked Up Easter Egg Hunt is a new immersive experience created by ZJU in North Hollywood. In this spectacle directed by Jorge Lozano, audiences can expect to remain on their feet and play along in this highly-committed, wild ride of a show. Subtitled, a “nasty, fun-filled, trippy-dippy ride down the rabbit’s hole in search of the true meaning of Easter,” that is just what this show delivers.
Approaching from the streets, Mary the Virgin (Julia Linger) greets the audience outside the door. She tells of the exciting events that await you, her fellow interns, and Professor Yolk (director Lozano) in their search for the true meaning of Easter. Entering the lab, there is a brief recap of their research which spares no stretch of the imagination. Everyone heads to the next room, traveling to a magical space marked with neon colors, musical instruments and pockets of grass. Beveren the Keeper (Jess Sabine) and Daisy the Acolyte (Linnea Swanson) welcome the professor and his interns while The Easter Bunnunaki (Kevin Van Cott), who has also just appeared, begins to play original, multi-instrumental music. The stage and premise, having been set, become interactive as audiences are diverted into separate actions. What follows is best described as a fever dream measured by one’s own level of willingness to participate centering on an Easter Egg Hunt with everyone filling their own basket. While there are opportunities for intense engagement with the actors, this is a safe space. Everything builds to a definite climax, and before you know it you’re back on Lankershim Boulevard.
There is no restraint to the style of theater being presented here: fast-paced, under 30 minutes, and weird. Musical and design elements are kept simple, but the mood is clear. The actors take their work seriously so that audiences don’t have to. One goes to a show such as this for a good time, to let go; without the stress of being “on” — and there isn’t a kid in sight.
ZJU Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8:30 pm & 9:30 pm; Sun., 4:30, 5:30, 6:30pm; thru April 16; ion. https://www.zombiejoes.com/; Running time 30 minutes
