Theater Review: In Say Something Bunny! geneology comes to the stage

Say Something Bunny!
Written and Performed by Alison S.M. Kobayashi
UNDO Project Space, Manhattan
March 19, 2018

When I was a child, my parents bought me a mini reel-to-reel tape recorder. I remember one excellent Christmas when my cousins and I made a surreptitious tape of our parents talking in the dining room. I recall an odd experience when we played it back. Statements that would have seemed normal or mundane live were somehow imbued with comic or other significance when played back as a performance piece. This kind of recording is at the core of Alison S.M. Lobayashi’s performance piece Say Something Bunny!, in the middle of a cultish 12 month run in a (very) intimate Chelsea performance space. Kobayashi ran across a wire recorder (a dated mid-20th century technology) which documented the holiday conversation of the Newburges, a 1950’s New York Jewish extended family. She then did a sleuthing project to find out, solely based on vague audio clues, who these people were and what (if any) significance they might have. Her research led to this quirky and generally entertaining performance piece.

The audience of 24 is seated around a big circular table, and each is provided a written transcript of the audio conversation, which we read along with as we the 30-minute audio tape played back complete. Each audience member is each assigned the “role” of one of the voices heard on the audio, although we are not asked to say or do anything. Thus the audience takes the form of an initial play read-through as if we will eventually act out these parts onstage. This device, perhaps used to draw us into the characters, seemed a bit unnecessary to me, but many in the group seemed to enjoy this identification. The performance itself is a mostly the actual audio recording of a family arguing, bantering, blandly commenting on the quality of the food, etc., much like my family tape described above. Their style is similar to Woody Allen’s family depicted in his movies. Ms. Kobayashi acts as the host and explainer, but also sometimes acts out or dresses up as a family member or a radio singer referred to on the tape. We also see filmed tapes of TV, movies, or plays referred to by the family, e.g. Steve Allen, or clips of a lousy Off-Broadway porno musical Stag Movie made in 1971 by son David, thwarted in his efforts to become a significant auteur; we even read scathing excerpts from Clive Barnes’ NY Times review of the short-lived show. The research done to track down all these references, including photos of tombstones, census records, and (mostly correct) extrapolations about subsequent family motivations, was impressive, and apparently mostly accurate. An actual family member came to a performance several months ago and verified most of the information, making a few corrections to Ms. Kobayashi’s data; these addenda are now shown after the show as a slideshow in which we also see some actual family photos and additional details on medical and other family issues. The slideshow epilogue was strangely moving after seeing the show, since it brought home the reality of this family. This reminded me of a visit to the New York Tenement Museum, where one tours an old 1900 tenement, hears the story of an Irish family, then sees pictures or recordings of the actual descendants. The juxtaposition of “theater” with reality can be very effective. Many of our stories about our family past take on the quality of legend or fiction after numerous retellings.

The overall experience of Say Something Bunny! was quirky, often funny, and sometimes moving. It could have been 15 minutes shorter. Ms. Kobayashi was an enthusiastic advocate for the material, if not a truly convincing actress, but her warmth and genuine love for this family transcended any technical limitations and gave the show the feeling of a group of intimates listening into the inner workings of a real family. That this did not come across as creepy voyeurism is a testament to Ms. Kobayashi’s sensitivity and honesty. The family member who attended the show was apparently very moved and honored by this memorial to his family. I was glad I attended this undefinable performance art experience, an odd yet warm couple of hours.