White Rabbit Red Rabbit producers Devlin Elliott and Tom Kirdahy announced that the acclaimed solo play by Nassim Soleimanpour will play the final performance of its New York premiere engagement December 19. The production, which features a new guest star weekly and has attracted a stellar rotating cast of performers, concludes its run at the Westside Theatre after 42 weeks.
Performances began Off-Broadway March 7, 2016. Weekly, a different actor is handed a script—sealed in an envelope—to perform without the help of a director, rehearsals or a set. Those who have tried their hand at the mysterious theatrical experiment include Wayne Brady, Darren Criss, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, Martin Short, Bobby Cannavale, Alan Cumming, Cynthia Nixon, Billy Porter, and Brian Stokes Mitchell, who performed the play November 28. Psyche actor James Roday is slated to take on White Rabbit Red Rabbit December 12; the final performer is yet to be announced.
“We are thrilled to have introduced White Rabbit Red Rabbit to New York audiences, and are gratified that white and red rabbits are now hopping in productions all over the world,” commented Elliott and Kirdahy in a joint statement. The show fully recouped its capitalization costs, and, as previously announced, a portion of the play’s profits will be donated to PEN International, an association of writers working to promote literature and defend freedom of expression around the world.
Forbidden to leave his country, Iranian playwright Soleimanpour transcribed his experience of isolation into this unique stage work. The play premiered at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it won a series of awards, and has since been translated into 15 different languages and performed globally. “This wildly entertaining and thought-provoking theatrical piece – where no audience can see the same show twice - blends drama, comedy and social experiment,“ describe earlier production notes.
Scroll through photos of Criss, Michael Urie, Ramin Karimloo, and Tony Danza performing White Rabbit Red Rabbit:
See Stana Katic take her turn in the show:
White Rabbit Red Rabbit is presented by Maberry Theatricals in support of PEN International.
Tickets to White Rabbit Red Rabbit are on sale via Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200. The Westside Theatre is located at 407 W. 43rd St., Manhattan.
