‘Daddy’s Rabbits: a Cotton Tale’ @ Ochre House Theater
Photos by Justin Locklear & Trent Stephenson; poster by Jeremy Word
—Martha Heimberg
Are rabbits actually so dangerous they need to be kept in cages with armed guards?
Is some sugar-hyped human having a recurrent dream involving a whole universe of rabbits and their well-documented habits?
Who can tell the fraught creation story of the first pair of rabbits and their fall from that long-lost Edenic land of carrots and curly wigs?
Look no further than Ochre House Theater and Daddy’s Rabbits: a Cotton Tale, a wildly absurdist rhymed play written and directed by Carla Parker, with a score composed and performed by Justin Locklear, who directs a trio of adorable flop-eared bunnies. These musically armed rabbits sing the songs and voice the thoughts of the formidable furry puppets (also made by Locklear) trapped in their hutch on a set designed by OHT artistic director Matthew Posey.
In just over 70 minutes, the Ochre House comedy team breaks loose, and we’re laughing and tapping our feet to “The Rabbit Rock Ballad” and “The Dance Party Mix.” It’s not hip-hop, but rabbits can rock and roll, too.
Lots of triggers go off as we watch a sharp troupe of actors inhabit characters spoofing Old Testament stories, Monty Python taking on killer rabbits, and a fairy tale about a witch with redeeming qualities. Who makes this stuff up, anyway? There’s plenty of method in this madness, and Parker’s rhyming book slides right into the song lyrics.
We’re happily bamboozled, along with Nance (Meagan Harris) a tired traveler who falls down the rabbit hole when she’s just seeking a room to spend the night. She lands in a special place where Daddy (Omar Padilla) dreams and Mommy (Marti Etheridge) feeds him sugar drops. A pair of violently funny twins—Ben Bryant as Boney and Kevin Grammer as Hairy—keep watch at the door, while a svelte guest named Isadorra (glam, funny Lauren Massey) prophesies, and everybody is careful not to get too close to the hutch. When a rabbit pokes his furry foot through the wire cage, it can feel downright menacing.
Caught up in the music and the happy house rules, we obey like the other guests, who are required to attend all parties held in honor of the rabbits. Hard not to, considering the company’s well-honed comic skills and tight ensemble work in this show. Harris is both innocent and scary as a potential rabbit Messiah, and Padilla and Etheridge are hilarious as a happily stoned-out couple who love to gush over their furry pets. Bryant is all bully and brashness and Grammer’s curly blonde wig hypnotizes front row guests.
Bobby Weiss created the beautiful picture-book trees where the bad plays on in the forest, as well as the huge black-and-white prints on the theater walls, illustrating the weirdly familiar mythology of the rabbit universe.
Be where the hare is—or be square!
WHEN: August 10-31, 2024
WHERE: 825 Exposition Avenue, Dallas
WEB: ochrehousetheater.org
