About the show
The Brick and Theater Reconstruction Ensemble present the world premiere of a mysterious tale of a town in search of its missing mayor, and a stranger named Don who's looking for his forgotten identity.
... Read moreLoosely inspired by the works of playwright Eugene Ionesco and filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, 'Rhinbecca' is set in a small town where the mayor has gone missing. A stranger named Don arrives, but he doesn't remember who he is or how he came to be there...or does he? Is his sudden appearance related to the mystery of the missing mayor? No one seems to know the answers to these questions, but Don's determined to get to the bottom of it all.
"The show makes exquisite use of empty language, in which the generic quality gives way to rhythmic inventiveness. The text, by the ensemble as well as Alex Kveton, is endlessly circular, burrowing further and further into its own inexplicable logic...Theater Reconstruction Ensemble’s lowbrow comedic approach should not be conflated with glibness. Nor should the impetus for the project, a response to Ionesco and Hitchcock, be a sign of insularity or precociousness." Full Review
"'Rhinbecca, NY' blends its sources’ distinctive styles to craft a bizarre, atmospheric tale of an outsider’s role in a twisted environment...The show takes more structure from its stylistic unity and strong ensemble than from concrete narrative; fans of a more linear storyline may be put off. Nonetheless, Theatre Reconstruction Ensemble gamely navigates the bumpy 'Oldsmuh' ride through Rhinbecca, generously including us and ensuring we don’t get too carsick." Full Review
"'Rhinbecca, NY' is a collision of a Hitchcock-esque suspense thriller and classic absurdism in the style of Eugene Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros.' The mashup may sound surprising at first, but it is impressive how well the two genres fit together, generating a surreal atmosphere...The ensemble conjures up a delightful funhouse setting, no actual set required...The play is certainly a challenge to watch, but a unique theatrical experience worth seeing all the same." Full Review
"This experimental jaunt through something that feels mostly like a 'Twilight Zone' episode employs existentialism, moments of the absurd, and swelling dramatic music to birth this quirky evening of suspense...If you’re interested in an evening of thought-provoking work that challenges the confines of story and what’s comfortable, 'Rhinbecca, NY' is indeed the play for you. However, if you’re not predisposed to challenging and nonlinear events this may be a bit of a stretch." Full Review
"Loose is a very kind word when describing the inspiration…With an extremely thin through line to work off of, the piece can only be examined by each individual beat. With so much going on, some of it worked, a lot of it didn’t…'Rhinbecca, NY' is an exceptionally interesting work of art. But do you leave pondering the questions the piece poses or do you question just exactly what you witnessed?…The ensemble should be lauded for their ability to work as a unit and never falter." Full Review
"When the cast is taking their final bows and literally no one in the audience is clapping, it is not a good sign...Fusing cast and crew, production and reality, beginnings and endings, but without style, engagement or clarity, it seems to be absurd theatre for the sake of absurdity, but with none of the cultural commentary or artistic reasoning behind the choice...If you’re looking for something small and exciting, keep looking." Full Review
Cast & Creatives (13)
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