“Hotel Good Luck” with the Cherry Artists’ Collective
Featured: Seth Soulstein, Desmond Bratton
“Hotel Good Luck” follows Bobby(played by Seth Soulstein), a man who thanks to the strange phenomenon of multiple people in his family dying on the same day of the year (November 6th) various years in a row, has developed a fear and obsession with death itself. Now, on November 6th once again, Bobby discovers the Hotel Good Luck in his dreams. A mysterious gateway to a universe not unlike his own, except that the ones he lost, might not be gone after all. What results is a beautiful story about accepting death and all that comes with it.
The use of the entire theater space was really exciting to see in this piece. Throughout the show the actor would walk backstage and use various aspects of that area as well as the house to represent different parts of the story. The very representational “set pieces” of back stage connected really well with the shifting realities of the play itself. The use of projections and green screen were also very well done, feeling less like the Zoom backgrounds of many shows and more like an essential technical detail of a live theatre performance.
Soulstein was truly a sight to see. Being one of two presences on stage and our narrator through the story, he guided us through each heartbreaking and heart-restoring moment with incredible care. Taking on the roles of both our narrator and every character he interacts with (Except Larry) Soulstein bounces through each one seamlessly, just as Bobby bounces from one universe to another. His radio-style voice never wavers and creates the sense that we need to lean in closer to catch every little thing he’s saying.
The language in this piece carries a poetic energy that hangs over the world that’s been created. Lines like “This is mom’s letter. And this is what it said” and “It’s disconnected. I get into the refrigerator” have rhythm to them. Not unlike the rushing waves we end the show on.
The ideas presented in this show about death and mourning are incredibly powerful. Ideas like the fact that death is an essential part of life and we can learn to accept it, enjoy the life we have now, and love the ones we have while we have them, are not new ideas by any means, but the way this play presents it, in an almost Groundhog Day/Palm Springs situation of living the same day but with a new death, takes us through several trippy examples of just how essential death is. The main character begins the play afraid of death but as the play goes on, we see him gradually understand death’s greater purpose.
The choice to have Bobby’s friend, Larry, (played by Desmond Bratton) be the only other person we see on stage is an interesting one at first. Why not one of the people central to his life like his mother, father, or ex-girlfriend/friend? But after thinking about it, it makes sense. Larry exists on the outside of it all. He’s the one constant as Bobby travels from universe to universe. Their interactions about the multiple realities and the physicist jacket are charming but also help bring the existential concepts this play deals with into the real world for the viewer. Bratton gives a fantastic performance in addition to the lovely music he plays on the bass at the beginning and throughout.
Overall, I walked away from “Hotel Good Luck” feeling full in a way that I have not felt from theatre in a long time. They managed to combine a powerful script, great actors, and a creatively utilized space to transcend the limitations of technology and deliver something truly beautiful.
“Hotel Good Luck” was presented by the Cherry Artists’ Collective and co-presented by the New Ohio Theatre.
It was written by Alejandro Ricano and translated by Jacquelin Bixle. It featured original music by Desmond Bratton.
Featuring: Seth Soulstein and Desmond Bratton
Directed by Samuel Buggeln
Lighting design by Christopher Brusberg
Sound design by Don Tindall
Costume design by Sasha Oliveau
With DOP/camera operator, Jules Holynski