If you ask me…
– Tom Holehan
Yale Repertory Theatre, after taking a detour with their traditional (and superb) revival of “Hedda Gabler” last December, is returning to what the theatre’s raison d’être has always been. The seriously weird, quirky, outrageous or generally adventurous work has been on the theatre’s menu for years and is back in full force with their current offering, “Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha”. It’s still accurate to say that, if not as Yale, where else would you see a show like this?
Created and performed by Julia Masli, “Ha…” is a one-of-a-kind audience participation happening led by Masli who dresses elegantly while sporting head gear tricked out with search light and microphone and a slender leg in place of her left hand. Is she an alien visiting New Haven to check the pulse of the Yale community? That’s as good a guess as any and Masli seems ready for anything as she works the audience like Jerry Springer in his heyday. Asking audience members about their feelings in one word, it’s apparent that the recent events of Minneapolis weighed heavily on their minds. Let the fun begin.
Full disclosure: I am not a fan of improvisational theatre. It always seems like a hit or miss proposition and depends on a very talented leader and good “contestants” in the audience. In all, it’s a theatrical crap shoot. At my performance I did question whether some in the audience were “plants” especially when one guy seemed awfully comfortable taking a shower in full public view. Others included an older gent enjoying a nap on a bed Masli provided and a pair of annoying children who managed to distract and upstage the proceedings…and not in a fun way.
Again, I am clearly not the audience for this type of show, but acknowledge that most of the audience seemed to enjoy it all. I also can praise Masli who is poised, engaging, funny and quick on her feet keeping the 70+ minutes running time moving along under Kim Noble’s direction. She is aided spectacularly by her sound designer and composer Alessio Festuccia whose work is practically non-stop for the entire show. Live sound designer Sebastian Hernandez is also kept busy recording the event live and playing back key moments at the
climax. I still don’t know how they did it.
In all, I’m glad I saw “Ha…” and very pleased that I got to sit safely off the aisle without being dragged on stage.
“Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha” continues at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut through February 7. For further information or ticket reservations call the theatre box office at: 203.432.1234 or visit: www.yalerep.org.
Tom Holehan is one of the founders of the Connecticut Critics Circle, a frequent contributor to WPKN Radio’s “State of the Arts” program and the Stratford Crier and former Artistic Director of Stratford’s Square One Theatre Company. He welcomes comments at: tholehan@yahoo.com. His reviews and other theatre information can be found on the Connecticut Critics Circle website: www.ctcritics.org.
