Throughout history, kings have pillaged and ravaged lands in pursuit of expansion, money, and glory. But have you ever heard of a king who would do the same…for figs? Written by Doug Robinson and directed by Randy Baker, The Figs is a bizarre, fable-like story about a king so obsessed with figs he will do anything to secure them.
Unfortunately for this fig-thirsty king, his kingdom’s soil cannot grow his favorite food. He must employ his military forces to find figs elsewhere, ravaging villages and murdering children in pursuit of his juicy desires. His daughter, Princess Sadie, is disgusted by her father’s actions but powerless against him.
The impetus of this story begins like many fairy tales do: with a royal decree. Running low on figs once again, the king decides it’s time to take drastic measures. Anyone across the land who can offer him a tasty and bountiful supply of figs may have his daughter’s hand in marriage.
The king’s decree sets a spiral of actions into motion. Word of his offer reaches a small fig farm, where three siblings are all interested in offering their figs up in exchange for the royal marriage. Princess Sadie runs away to the arms of her lover, Lorna, a tavern owner. Strange things occur on winding roads to the castle, and stories are told by dim light at the tavern. This is a play where a lot happens. There is plenty of adventure, violence, challenges, love, and death. The Figs is more than unexpected at every turn. Death and the Devil show up to patronize a local tavern, a fish helps find a lost ring, and a fig magically turns a human nose into something more swine-like.
The story isn’t the only surprising thing about this production. The Figs falls into a category that can make theatergoers either jump for joy or cower in fear — immersive theater.
If you’re shy, never fear. This doesn’t mean audience participation. Rather, the two-level performance space is utilized to have the first few scenes of the show take place outside of the regular set. The show begins unexpectedly in the lobby, where Mollie Greenberg appears and catches the attention of the audience, still standing around and waiting to be guided to their seats. It takes a few moments to recognize that this is not a venue employee giving an announcement but an actor beginning the show.
Greenberg is the Storyteller, our narrator for this tale. She sets the stage for the story, with some help from the King and Princess Sadie, and then the audience is guided down to the lower level of the space, where another introductory scene takes place. With this unconventional arrangement, the audience is close enough to feel the inside of the production, seeing the sweat on the actors’ faces and the fine details of their clothing.
After 30 minutes of this, it’s a slight relief to be brought to the seated portion of the show. Set designer August Henney has created a unique arrangement. There is no stage — the audience sits in two sections across from each other. In between, there is a cozy bar and a wide space filled with patterned rugs. A giant tree rises in the very middle. It is between and around this area that the rest of the production happens.
In this topsy-turvy play, many cast members play more than one role. Abel Haddish and Charlotte Kim rotate through a considerable number of characters with charm and ease. As does Mollie Greenberg, who is constantly swapping out accessories on a moment’s notice to switch from the narrator to a king’s attendant to a kind old nurse.
Arika Thames is wonderful as the honest and kind June, maybe the one true hero of this story. Rebecca Husk is June’s companion, Swan, who has a compelling presence even if all she says is “honk.” Robert Pike is ferociously frightening as the power- (and fig-) hungry king. Lisette Gabrielle charms as the sweet Princess Sadie, and Katrina Clark is an absolute standout as Lorna, a storytelling bar owner in love with the princess.
We know little about the world in which The Figs take place. There are few concrete details about what life is like in this kingdom, what time period the story takes place in, and if the laws of our world apply. Conventions of gender and sexuality don’t appear to exist in this fairytale land, and it would feel wrong if they did, given its otherworldly nature. The Figs feels meant to be taken in as a fable — a story where we suspend what we know to be true and lose ourselves in the essential meaning of the tale.
The Figs is an adventurous romp through a bizarre world that combines familiar fairy tale elements like evil kings, beautiful princesses, and talking animals with the strange and uncanny. Each layer unravels to reveal something unexpected, or something that contradicts a previous view of the world. After all, a fig is not a fruit, but a flower.
Running Time: Two and a half hours with a 15-minute intermission.
The Figs plays through March 16, 2025, presented by Rorschach Theatre performing at 1020 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets ($50 adult, $35 student and seniors) online.
The playbill for The Figs can be downloaded here.
The Figs
Written by Doug Robinson
Directed by Randy Baker
CAST
Mollie Greenberg: The Storyteller and other roles
Robert Pike: The King
Lisette Gabrielle: Princess Sadie
Abel Haddish: Soldier, Jod, Death, King of the Fish, and other roles
Charlotte Kim: Soldier, Jin, Devil, Fish, and other roles
Arika Thames: June
Rebecca Husk: Swan
Katrina Clark: Lorna
Understudies: Daniel Brody, Edmée-Marie Faal, Caitlyn Hopper, Brooke Kemph, Daniel Kundrat, John Stange
Set Design by August Henney; Sound Design by Michael Winch; Costume Design by Cody von Ruden; Lighting Design by Ben Harvey; Props Design by Aoife Creighton; Stage Management by Sophia Menconi; Technical Direction by Sean Flaherty; Fight and Intimacy Choreography by Lorraine Ressegger; House Managers: Michael Kyrioglou and Jordana Adelman; Bar Managers: Irene Hamilton, Allison Bouley, and Sarah Millard; Assistant Stage Manager: Makayla Smith; Assistant Set Designer: Sophia Tepermeister; Additional Set Construction and Painting by Jordana Adelman, Troy Johnson, Alexandra Lopez, and Maddie Southard; Electricians: Ben Harvey and Dean Leong
