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"The Bay Area's first peek at Rabbit Hole, this year's Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner, comes courtesy of Studio 300 Theatre, a small, capable new company that jumps with both feet into the gently humorous domestic drama by David Lindsay-Abaire (Fuddy Meers, Kimberly Akimbo) about the aftermath of grief following the accidental death of a child. Set in the suburban home of thirtysomething couple Becca (Sina Eiden) and Howie (Dominik Overstreet), the story opens (after an awkwardly added and superfluous prelude) as Becca's sister Izzy (Katarina Fabic) delivers a rambling report of a bar brawl whose desultory punch line is the news that she's pregnant. Becca's horrified, big-sisterly concern for her lovable flake of a sibling soon gains more complex shading, however, as the circumstances of her increasingly strained household (and careful folding away of a pile of children's clothes) come slowly to light. A down-to-earth portrait follows of a family tragedy binding five people — including Becca's slightly addled mother (Candyce Anderson) and the high school senior (Josh Duthie) haunted by his part in the accident — in a painful, volatile embrace. The play is leavened by humor and grounded in nimble realistic dialogue, and this engaging production overcomes the clunky physical limitations of a tiny makeshift stage with a solid, sympathetic cast under the shrewd direction of company founder Shari Carlson." - Robert Avila , Bay Gaurdian
"Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire's beautiful Pulitzer Prize-winning play gets a genuinely heartfelt and at times moving production from Studio 300 Theatre. The cast has an easy, gentle approach to the material, which fits well with the comic air that runs over the surface of this bittersweet piece. It's an impressive feat for a new company taking on a story about how a couple and their family cope with grief and each other after losing their young son...the humor and grace exhibited in it bodes well for Studio 300's future." - Molly Rhodes, SF Weekly
"Death is not meant to be funny, and surely watching people cope with death isn't supposed to be funny either. Right? So why, then, is David Lindsay-Abaire'sRabbit Hole, about the death of a child and its aftermath, so entertaining? A new production at Studio 300 brings up so many conflicting emotions that it leaves you more than a little rattled at the end.
The theater is also very small -- an ideal size for this play; so only about 30 people can fit in. The experience in such a small space is far superior to larger venues like the American Conservatory Theater ( A.C.T.), which is nearby. Like Edward Albee's Zoo Story or Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, the closer you are to what's happening on stage the better.
Since much of the dialog in Rabbit Hole is constructed around arguments and misunderstandings, it is easy to feel like you have a role in the scenes -- but as a silent family member, hoping not to get yelled at. Like real people, the characters argue then appease, make nice and then yell some more. In this way their personalities are revealed -- not through their jobs, their costumes or what they do, but through their feelings.
Dominic Overstreet plays Howie, the father of the child that died. With macho decisiveness, he marches right into murky emotional territory and is so natural at arguing, he seems a little bit mean. His Howie is a man who is not in charge of his household, someone whose life has been dramatically altered by an event beyond his control. He finds too, that he can't ease his wife's sorrow -- and discovers how talking can sometimes make things worse. Lindsay-Abaire seems to be making a point to men here; sometimes women just need to talk things out and they don't need you to solve their problems. Allow them to talk and they can find their way through things. Howie, of course doesn't get this and his frustration strains his relationship and ultimately isolates him.
At one point, Howie's wife, Becca (Sina Eiden), explains the Greek myth of Orpheus. He played music so beautifully, she says, that it brought the dead back to life. However when someone he loved, Eurydice, died, all of his magical powers failed him. Eurydice was lost. In Rabbit Hole, each character knows they cannot bring the child back, so instead they lash out at one another for feeling too much or not feeling enough. It is a tug-of-war game that can never be won. Like Orpheus they all must live with the knowledge that there is nothing they can do.
The production of Rabbit Hole is a synergy between Katarina Fabic and Shari Carlson of Studio 300. Fabic is an actress who has worked in commercials, plays and movies for the past 15 years. Scenes from Rabbit Hole were workshopped at Studio 300, which inspired Fabic to put together a full production of the play. Carlson was asked to direct. Fabic also performs as the Becca's younger, carefree sister Izzy, who provides moments of comic relief with stories of her own misadventures. Rabbit Hole is a smart play that shouldn't be missed if you can catch it during its short run." - Chris Cobb, KQED
Studio 300 Theatre presents the World Premiere of A BOWL OF ROSE LEAVES. A Three Act Comedy written by Fred Smith. Starring Nick Scoggin, Gail Fenton, Taylor Meritt, Eli Kramer & Vlad Sayenko.
An abandoned son tracks down his long lost father. The consequences of his actions create a hilarious conflict between the artistic and rational worlds.
When: July 17 - August 30. All shows at 8pm. Where: Studio 300 Theatre - 442 Post Street, 5th Floor San Francisco, CA For More Information: 888-410-8355 Tickets: BrownPaperTickets. com
