By Tanner David Tate
The latest installment in a long-running series of episodic plays called The Open Syrup has premiered at The (intimate) Box Theatre within the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah. The show is a refreshingly unique diversion from traditional theatre, in that the play itself is part of a larger story, with the writer, Elise Hanson, referring to the series of productions as a “serial play,” with the program referring to the layout as a theatrical take on live television. This latest installment focuses on a zany cast of characters introducing the audience to their various stories and inside jokes, all inside the lobby of the hotel called The Open Syrup, and for the first time since the creation of the series several years ago, this episode includes music and singing. According to the cast, the first rehearsal for the play series took place in 2019, and the actors have created a number of stories existing in the same universe ever since.
Utah is not known for its propensity to platform new work, so when I was offered the opportunity to experience it, I took it. The Box theatre is located within the Gateway Mall, within spitting distance of Vivint Smarthome Arena in Salt Lake City. The Box is the home of Wasatch Theatre Company, and opens its doors to a number of other small theatrical endeavors who pass through Salt Lake and need a home for their experimental productions. Upon entering The Box, I was greeted by a small, intimate stage and a set reminiscent of an experimental black box often seen in the underground New York theatre scene. When I paired this with the stylized naked lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, I was very excited for the coming production.
The lights dimmed, and the show began with a callback to the last episode of the ongoing story, an ensemble member walking onto the stage with a sign reading “previously on The Open Syrup…” as if she were announcing the third round of a long-anticipated MMA fight. After, a brief scene was acted before the episode we experienced began.
The story centers around two characters who are attempting, and largely succeeding, to run a hotel. Rhonda, played by Elizabeth Hanley, is the hotel manager, who can’t figure out through the show if she’s experiencing a fever dream or a real-life situation, and Bradley, played by Christopher Taylor, is the hotel janitor who continues to be wrapped up in the shenanigans happening onstage instead of fixing the leaky pipes. Along with these two are a host ensemble characters, including a sultry vampire and his two concubines, (Jeremy Minagro, Cami Rozanas, Elise Hanson,) a singing diva who continuously, intentionally, and deservedly upstages the other characters, (Andrew Slaughter) a Shakespeare-quoting philosopher, (Jeffrey Owens,) and a self-proclaimed fashion icon (im)patiently awaiting her close-up, (Aussie Marie.) Each of the characters takes a moment to make their mark on the larger picture, and end up creating a hilarious tableau of funny characters constantly and comically clashing onstage. My favorite trope of the show is that Rhonda and Bradley are the only characters to acknowledge that they are, indeed, in a play through breaking the fourth wall, but Rhonda is constantly panicking about the situation and questioning her own sanity, while Bradley allows himself to get wrapped up in the mayhem and simply laughing about it.
The direction by Hanson and Rozanas, both of whom starred as the vampire coven, make the show run fluidly, and the choreography by Aimee Ruth Pike make the larger musical numbers cohesive and energetic.
But the selling point of the show is the inter-cast relationships. From the beginning of the show, it is strikingly apparent that this is a group of people who know and trust one another on a profound level that is often found in casts who have spent lots of time together. While I have not had the privilege of seeing the various other editions of this production, it was fun for me to experience a cast who has spent years getting to know one another and finding ways to trust one another onstage, as well as develop fun relationships between their characters. Despite the technical difficulties previously mentioned, the actors powered through and improvised through the challenges in a way that kept me smiling until the end of the show.
Overall, the show is a goofy celebration of live theatre in its purest form. The Open Syrup takes you into a strange, surrealist universe full of zany characters and fun interactions where no one knows what’s going to happen next. If you want a night full of light-hearted laughs, check out The Open Syrup at The Box Theatre, but act fast! The run, and seating, are both very limited!
The Open Syrup at The Box Theatre, written by Elise Hanson, additional music by David Drockton.
124 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
March 25-26, April 1-2, 2022 8:00 PM
Tickets: $10
The Open Syrup Facebook Event
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