Sometimes, you walk into a show with no idea what it’s up, solely showing up because you trust its creators to do something wonderful and weird. Last night was one such night.
After immensely enjoying SNOW FRIDGE at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Keight Leighn, one of its co-creators, branched off to try to create something on her own. I first saw Keight laying in a bathtub full of her own blood, way back when, in another Fringe show, APARTMENT 8. Her strength as an actress carried that entire experience, and I’ve been a fan since (and SNOW FRIDGE, if you read my review, was the best of this year’s Fringe, in my opinion).
So last night, I drove up to Silver Lake, after a long day of work, not really knowing what to expect. At 8PM, I received two texts; one pretty normal, and then its follow-up, pretty absurd.
From there, I was brought into a fairly normal world when the door was answered by a young woman (played by Shayne Eastin), and an adorable dog. Eastin’s scene set an interesting tone for the show, talking about dreams and what they mean, and what a recent dream of hers was. Eastin, no matter what role she is in, is always an incredibly strong performer, and that was no different here. Her performance was a great way to kick off the show (even with a distractedly cute dog near by!) and was a great counter-balance for the surrealness that was to follow.
From there, I entered to only what could be described as a slightly toned down version of a fever dream; though it was a simple bedroom (as per the show’s title), it was transformed into a dream-like landscape, making great use of lightning and atmosphere.
Leighn’s playful attitude and semi-monologues here were on-point, allowing for the show to transform around, changing based on your reactions and own willingness to jump in. Despite my almost destroying the bedroom, twice, by accident (I’m so sorry again, Keight!!!), the show was a weird and fun romp into just….being.
It was loosely based on some answers you had to send in previous to the show, as there is a little discussion about them. But for me, the show really shined when Leighn was allowed to do what she does best, and that’s just be creative. Between creating something with crystals and rocks, to a bizarre game of follow the leader, #bedrumplai doesn’t really need any deep meanings or hidden agendas. It’s just a fun foray into being yourself, and re-discovering something you might have lost along the way.
Previous to the show, one of the questions I was asked was very simple: what do I desire? The answer now is clear; I desire more shows from Leighn. They’re always guaranteed to be fun.
#bedrumplai runs from August 17th through August 26th at various times. Tickets are still available and are $23. You can purchase them now at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bedrumplai-tickets-48730227422
