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Fetus’s Day Out : Samsara @ The Chance Theater in Anaheim – Review

Written by Alina Mae Wilson 

Samsara: the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound.

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Courtesy: Chance Theatre

Consider a scenario where an American couple hires a surrogate to carry their child to term, and the unborn have a say in the matter. The witty fetus peppers the woman, carrying him with questions about the world while his parents-to-be prepare for his arrival psychologically and emotionally. You now have the premise for the Chance Theater’s newest show Samsara. Fascinating on the surface, Samsara just isn’t that bold or innovative when you dig deeper inside.

Meet Katie. She’s a tense woman who is ready for a baby. Meet Craig. He’s a nervous man who isn’t really, but he is prepared to make his wife happy, so why not? Together the two of them will struggle to conceive but discover other ways they can become parents–they can hire a surrogate from India. Now meet Suraiya. She’s the woman charged with carrying their baby to term while she prepares for a major exam. As the show progresses, we watch the emotional journeys and the growth gleaned from their experiences.

The stage is set in Chance’s new theater space. It’s a very comfortable space that avoids the cramped feeling that many small theaters give their patrons. For the story, the set is fine. Much more memorable are the props, a few of which are introduced so abruptly that one can’t help but laugh out loud. All the performers’ acting is solid, but the characters they portray are not spectacularly memorable.

Samsara001

Courtesy: Chance Theater

Samsara is an original story about something that can and does happen in the real world. In addition to the realism, we have the portrayed embodiment of the fetus as a walking, talking person with clearly defined opinions. This in and of itself is fascinating and gives the fantastical element the story needs to be entertaining. However, despite the undeniably relevant subject matter, the plot lacks subtlety. There is a lot of presentation.”Look!  They are sad. They want a baby. Look! She is sad. She is starting to love the baby she is carrying. Conflict”. There are some funny jokes, but there are also a few that just drag Samsara down. For example, a certain running gag regarding the baby’s name gets old much faster than the writers think it does. This joke continues throughout, and while it was tolerable the first two times, it was completely stale by the end.

While I won’t give away the ending, I will say that the end, in many ways, takes the easy way out to avoid having to answer the very difficult question that the characters and many people in the real world face.

7.8/10

April 30-May 31st, 2015 

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