Review: Elephant Room

Louie Magic pulls off a daring stunt by wearing
socks with shorts (© Scott Suchman)

I never thought I'd find a show that could make me love all the self-conscious, awkward smarm of the 1980's, but (as if by magic!) Elephant Room has done just that. Set in a turquoise, shag-carpeted New Jersey basement, Elephant Room showcases the absurdist humor of these three semi-pro conjurers.

(L to R) Dennis Diamond, Louie Magic and Daryl Hannah(© Scott Suchman)

If there's one thing Elephant Room has down perfectly, it's timing. The cast knows just how long to revel in the uncomfortable silence before moving on to the next trick.


The lights come up, and the curtain rises on… an identical curtain on a smaller, raised stage. [Insert "yo dawg" meme here.] The nozzle of a smoke machine is thrust out under the edge and begins spewing white mist. The lights dim again as the troupe hurriedly rushes out to "magically" appear out of the haze when the lights brighten for the official beginning.


The opening sets the tone for what would be a comedy of errors, except that the bumbling is overshadowed by the cast's obvious competence as magicians. Just as I'd settled in to the idea that this was a play about magicians rather than a play by magicians, this happened:

(L to R) Louie Magic, Dennis Diamond and Daryl Hannah (© Scott Suchman)

Beyond the levitation and rapid-fire, three-at-a-time slight of hand tricks, the show includes a healthy dose of audience participation. Audience members have their minds read, are disappeared on stage, and fed magical omelets.


Caution: the first three rows may be stepped over, glitter bombed, or covered in paper streamers.

Dennis Diamond in Elephant Room (© Scott Suchman)

You know how you can judge a really good party by the red solo cups and general debris? By collegiate standards, this show is epic. The stage was littered not only with the aforementioned glitter and streamers, but also egg, a whiskey-colored fluid, fake snow, carrot stubs, and other odds and ends. And, like a truly epic party, trying to describe the antics afterwards never does the event justice.


So often, I list events like this in my "This Week in Geek" post, and they sit ignored at the top of the calendar. Don't let this one slip below the radar. To quote a very old xkcd, "Honor Monty Python: Promote surreal humor."


With that in mind, go see Elephant Room. Do it for every child who learned magic in the dark, "yucky feeling" back room of a toy store. For the love of every joyous moment of mullet-y goodness, go see this show. Besides, I only have one word for Daryl Hannah: Rwar.

Daryl Hannah (© Scott Suchman)