The Secret World of Archy and Mehitabel at Whitefire Theatre

The Secret World of Archy and Mehitabel

Whitefire Theatre
13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks

What could possibly come of the strange collaboration between a tiny, six-legged creature whose ancestors walked with the dinosaurs, and an overworked, overwrought newspaper man in New York City? Adapted for the stage by Dan Gilvezan, the world premiere of The Secret World of Archy & Mehitabel brings the beloved New York Evening Sun columns by journalist Don Marquis to life.

Thru - Oct 15, 2022

Show Type: Comedy

Box Office: 818-990-2324

www.whitefiretheatre.com

The Secret World of Archy and Mehitabel Reviews

Average Rating based on 7 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

LA Splash - Highly Recommended

"...Director Moosie Drier helms the creative wanderings of these creatures with skill and humor. Kudos to writer/adaptor/actor Gilvezan, who does a bang-up job of portraying the delightful Archy, who manages to turn a cockroache into a very likeable and clever being with something important to say. And let's not forget about the kittenish Mehitabel, whose street life gives new meaning to freedom. In fact, kudos to the entire ensemble cast (Gilverzan, Hennesy, Chott, Horvitz, and Stables), who have just the right amount of joi de vivre to continuously "bug" the audience."

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- Elaine Mura

ArtsBeatLA - Highly Recommended

"...Magical realism and whimsy helps The Secret World of Archy & Mehitabel to feel like Kafka minus the nihilism-don't miss this wonderful production!"

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- Pauline Adamek

On Stage Los Angeles - Highly Recommended

"..."the secret world of archy and mehitabel" is an unmitigated hit that can only blossom as the run continues."

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- Sheehan

NoHoArtsDistrict - Highly Recommended

"...The Secret World of Archy & Mehitabel is an absolutely brilliant piece of theatre. In the truest sense of the word. It gleams and sparkles with wit, humor, and an utterly unique and gorgeously whimsical nature. Each character, whether insect or animal, resonates with a gloriously vivid charm, sweetly crafted, warmly written and affectionately played."

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- Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros

Stage Raw - Highly Recommended

"...The Secret World of Archy and Mehitabel will welcome your young ones of ages 10 and up, and offer some jokes for the big kids, too. Audience members should be aware of content warnings for brief visuals of insects and spiders as well as brief discussion of suicide. And who knows? You might find yourself lingering in the secret world long after the curtain has fallen."

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- Socks Whitmore

Theatre Notes - Highly Recommended

"...I imagine that modern up-to-the minute people have no idea about Archy and Mehitabel, a creation of Don Marquis, a columnist for The Evening Sun newspaper in New York City back in 1916. I seem to have some notion that I may have come across the characters decades ago. In the delightfully entertaining one-act play by Dan Gilvezan, The Secret World of Archy and Mehitabel, Archy is a literate cockroach, a creature that was once a human being and now is a person that sneaks into Marquis’s office and types messages on the newspaper man’s typewriter that looks very much like an 1916 Antique LC Smith No8 Desktop Typewriter. He is limited, naturally, having no fingers and virtually no weight, so he jumps on the keys to make an impression."

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- Paul Myrvold

Ticket Holders LA - Recommended

"...Still, the true heart of this production is the hilarious. indelibly imaginative turn by Carolyn Hennesy as Mehitabel, whose first long-awaited spotlighted star entrance, accompanied by thunderous applause (the flashing sign tells us to), could rival anything once assayed by Loretta Young. Henessey is both outrageously funny and heartbreakingly poignant as the pampered and perpetually horny feline abandoned to the streets after attacking her family’s new dog. It’s always a pleasure and a privilege to see Hennesy return to her theatrical roots on the LA stage after making the schedule-sucking transition to beloved Daytime Emmy-nominated TV star."

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- Travis Michael Holder

The Secret World of Archy and Mehitabel at Whitefire Theatre