Reviewed by Tracey Paleo, Gia On The Move
“Of all the BlackBox joints in all the towns in the world, I walked into this one.”
…or something like that was the phrasing that swirled inside my head sitting in for the world premiere of THE RAGE FAIRY at The Sherry Theatre in North Hollywood. It was definitely, “an experience.”
When they said nothing could stop the Rage Fairy from finding love even if her man du jour is a literal murderer, they weren’t kidding. The absurdist comedy written by playwright Antonia Czinger is a tornado of chaos that deals with love, codependence, and plain bad judgment through the loneliness of a put-together fairy working as a shop girl slave.
When Rage Fairy goes on the hunt for amore, she gets far less than she deserves and unfortunately much more than she bargained for. Her dreamboat is a misogynistic serial killer and the worst boyfriend a girl could land. He uses her, ignores her, ghosts her, and generally walks all over her. And she happily accepts. This is love after all. But even the Rage Fairy cannot overcome her own jealousy over the ghosts of all her boyfriend’s murder victims. “This must all end!”
Lead actress Holly Anne Mitchell (Rage Fairy) has one hell of a job to do and I would be hard-pressed to think of anyone else who could pull it off. This play is pure insanity. Mitchell is a powerhouse performer navigating a complex script in a directorially rudderless production that revolves solely around her character. Yet, she makes sense of every line and emotional note and pulls the rest of the cast through a practical trial-by-fire performance. But that is the best you will get from this production. Without her, it’s hard to say just how the show would hold up. It’s occasionally difficult to tell who is who, why, when, and where. And although the other characters have their moments, they are, with the exception of Isaac Tipton Snyder as the Murderer, mostly periphery.
THE RAGE FAIRY is weird and fun and gory and a total commitment (unlike Rage Fairy’s boyfriend) and in definitive need of much better direction and stage direction. But a good time never-the-less.
Written and Directed by Antonia Czinger
Produced by David Dickens
Presented by Ballview Entertainment
Starring Holly Anne Mitchell (Rage Fairy), Isaac Tipton Snyder (Murderer), James Fahselt (Bad Boyfriend/Detective Goodman), Megan Colburn (Fortune Teller), Cassandra Stipes (Mom), Max Zumstein (Pop), Lexi Stein (Sponsor), Morgan Lorraine (True Friend), Madison Hubler (Murdered Girl/Rage Fairy Understudy), Lauren Adlhoch (Murdered Girl), and Ayanda Dube (Murdered Girl).
Lighting Design by David Dickens, Sound Design by Trevor Reece, Set Design by Isaac Tipton Snyder, Costume Design by Antonia Czinger and Graphic Designs by Freda Jing.
Playing at The Sherry Theater 11052 West Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA. 91601
Performances are on Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30PM, February 19th – March 13th with possible extension March 18th, 19th and 20th.
Tickets are $20.00 and available at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-rage-fairy-tickets-246986261557
Lead photo by David Dickens: Holly Anne Mitchell as The Rage Fairy
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