By Ernest Kearney – Sometime after the publication of Through the Looking-Glass in 1871, author Lewis Carroll penned his nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark – An Agony in Eight Fits.
Arguments over what the hell the poem is, actually, about have been raging since it first appeared in print, still the piece has inspired a range of adaptations from operas to ballets to a video game.
The Fringe (HFF24) production has taken the “story theatre” approach in telling the tale of a Bellman (BK Dawson) who organizes a hunting party in order to track down an elusive and indeterminate beastie known as the “Snark.”
Apparently, Bellman’s only requirement in enlisting the members of his party was that their names begin with a “B.” There’s the Baker (River Collins), the Butcher (Madison Stamm), and even a Beaver (Juan Ayala).
Director Josh Sobel has some clever staging but unfortunately, not a cast that is fully up to the task, and some of the actors— who in an attempt at “silliness” —have only succeeded in being annoying.
The production is at Javista Coffee Hollywood. This new venue has great potential but comes with some distinct challenges. It is gloriously cavernous, and so a good choice for Snark, however, attention has not been paid to the performer’s volume levels. This proved a problem for most of the cast, with the exception of the narrator who was pitch-perfect. It was a preview performance, so there’s hope they’ll manage to fix a “cap” on their “mad” as they go along.
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The Hunting of the Snark
Playing during The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2024
at
Javista Coffee Hollywood (Main Space)
1532 N Highland Ave
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DATES
Saturday June 15 2024, 8:30 PM | 55 mins
Sunday June 16 2024, 8:30 PM | 55 mins
Friday June 21 2024, 8:00 PM | 55 mins
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