RESA FANTASTISKT MYSTISK purports to be a long-lost masterpiece by a bitter rival of 19th century playwright August Strindberg. In a parody of storied plays that one is expected to admire but that no longer work, RESA is full of stilted dialogue, cheesy symbolism, and jokes that just might have been funny two hundred years ago. During the show, the audience wears headphones so that the Director/Translator can make sure they are “getting it”. As the actors inevitably disappoint, the commentary devolves into personal attacks until a supernatural visitation reveals exactly who is the one not “getting it”.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS (winners in bold)
4 Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018 Nominations Top of the Fringe, Best Comedy, "Ripest" Show (Breaking the 4th Wall), ShoWorks Don’t Wait. Create! Award (original content, pushing envelope); 3 TVolution Best of the Best 2018 Hollywood Fringe Awards/Honorable Mentions Best of the Fringe, Acting [Tim Kopacz], Directing [Albert Dayan]; LA Weekly Award Nominee Production of the Year; 2 Garland Awards Outstanding Playwriting, Outstanding Acting; FringeNYC Award Outstanding Ensemble; LA Times Best Bet; LA Weekly Pick of the Week; Backstage West Critic’s Pick; The Scotsman Critic’s Choice; Stage Raw Top Ten
REVIEWS
NY Times – “Consistently, smartly funny and delightfully original”
New York Magazine – “A genius comic experience”
Theatremania – “One of the most original, funny, and inspiring shows of the New York International Fringe Festival”
NYTheatre.com – “If you’re looking for a show that makes you simply laugh out loud for 90 minutes, Burglars of Hamm and The Ghost Road’s current production, Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk, is the ticket.”
Fringereview - "By now, I’ve learned that any show with The Burglars of Hamm behind it is a must-see event. This revival of Fantastiskt Mystisk is no exception. Don’t miss it."
KCRW (Anthony Byrnes) - "it's the antidote for every overly wrought directorial nightmare you've ever sat through"
Gia On The Move - "This performance is special.... Laughing uncontrollably. See this immediately."
theTVolution - "Inspired tomfoolery with the aplomb of Michael Jackson doing the Moonwalk down the length of your funny bone"
LA Times – “Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the glory that is Mattsun”
LA Weekly – “Clever, erudite, and often laugh-out-loud funny”
Backstage West – “…may change the face of theatre as we know it… an earth-shattering, theatrical epiphany”
Accessibility Live Off-Line – “A piece that really moves!… A real treat to experience”
Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes - “A special evening… Hilarious”
Chortle (Scotland) – “It’s all very funny, a brilliant example of how comedy at its best can really work the emotions”
Edinburgh Guide – “A fantastic laugh”
The Stranger (Seattle) – “This production was totally awesome
”Seattle Times – “Genius… It’s something that must be seen to be fully understood”
The Scotsman (Scotland’s National Newspaper) – “I wish I had seen this fantastic show sooner because then I could have recommended it to more people.”
OffOffOff – “So wonderful that you want to tell everyone about it and yet so deviously clever that you don’t want to spoil a thing for future playgoers”
Willamette Week (Portland) – “The hands-down best production we saw” [at the Seattle Fringe]
Stage Raw - "Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk is a smart, funny delight, and definitely one of the highlights of this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival."
NY Arts – “a dazzling ensemble piece”
KPCC Radio – “Absolutely delightful”