Stuck In-Between With ‘The Limbo Lounge’ (Review)

by Leah Ableson
Leah Ableson
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July 25, 2018
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4 min read

The ups and downs of the site-evocative “immersive play-sical”

Manhattan Repertory Theatre recently offered a home to the site-specific show The Limbo Lounge, a production about the afterlife that was originally designed to be performed in a bar. The show presents a sweet story about redemption, with the potential for rare moments of comedy in an immersive piece. It takes the audience into Purgatory, which is set in an airport bar (a clever choice that provides a fun and relatable atmosphere), as we find two unhappy and newly-dead lovers, trying to find a way out.

The denizens of Purgatory deliver laudable performances that inject life into the somewhat flimsy storyline: most notably, Lauren E. Greene in the role of “The Psychic”, and Ron Barba in the role of “The Bartender.” The two shared the stage with poise and charisma, playing off each other as the narrators of the piece. Greene’s fantastic improvisational asides introduced a farcical energy into the script, showing a glimpse of The Limbo Lounge’s comedic potential. Her spirited take on the story was balanced out beautifully by the stoicism of Barba’s Bartender, who provided his own ironic humor as a comedic straight man to Greene.

The Psychic, played by Lauren E. Greene. Photo by David Wiley.

Rounding out Greene and Barba’s presentation of Purgatory was Konner Scott as “The Guitar Player,” whose own quiet but cheeky role in the story pushes The Limbo Lounge even further into the realm of farce — which I, personally, adored. The lovely, original music by songwriting stylings of Scott and show creator Alexa Karas provides a warm joy to the piece, and smartly sets the pacing for the entire evening. In these musical moments, the show really shines.

Balancing out these personalities were the main romantic duo, played by Lea DiMarchi (as “Margot”) and Brian Alford (as “Ash”). Both performers embraced the tropes assigned to their characters, portraying a social media-obsessed woman and an disloyal, self-centered man, respectively. I enjoyed seeing these two embody the “more over-the-top” moments for their characters, as it fit a little better with the other personalities on the team.

Margot, played by Lea DiMarchi. Photo by David Wiley.

However, I did, at times, find it difficult to connect with the scripted narrative of the show, or determine what overall message was being delivered. Some of the artistic choices seemed out of place, like the inclusion of a murder-suicide plotline for an otherwise lightheartedly irritating male lead. Developments like these were introduced too suddenly to allow for much context and weren’t explored deeply enough to make sufficient impact. Unfortunately, in addition to these confusing choices, some of the script also felt quite recycled; it is very evident when the script is hoping to get a message across, and it often does so in a manner that’s a little bit basic, or at times, melodramatic. Is this a purposeful choice? Perhaps it is meant to drive home the concept of Purgatory, or being stuck in one place? I’m not sure, but I do wonder if these moments in the script are what causes confusion with the thesis of the piece.

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As a whole, I anticipate greater success for The Limbo Lounge once it returns to its original home of a bar setting. On stage, some immersive elements are relatively evident, but sadly just out-of-reach for audiences to enjoy. The actors put up a commendable effort towards bringing the attendees into the environment with that, but it falls a little short. As DiMarchi asked audience members to take and re-take photos of her, and Alford pulled another up to dance, the energy in the room really picked up. I would love to see these characters more fleshed out in the future, as the deeper sides of the characters tend to skew a little ingenuine. There is often a tendency to avoid comedy in as a means to deliver a message; in the case of these two lovers, I think their message could be better communicated through humor. And the glowing personalities of the entire cast would be much more enjoyable in a more improvisational, close-up environment, one where the piece is less focused on the scripted story and more on the overall tone of the experience.

I look forward to seeing where The Limbo Lounge goes from here, and have an eye out for when they return to their bar roots.