[[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Stumbling on Ceremony: From Ayahuasca Confessions to My Daughter’s Wedding, written and performed by Larry Davidson, directed by Heather Dowling, and produced by Jessica Lynn Johnson at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2025.
Larry Davidson is a gift. Truly. I have been looking forward to his new play, Stumbling on Ceremony: From Ayahuasca Confessions to My Daughter’s Wedding for quite a while. He was scheduled last year, but very sadly came down with COVID last minute and was unable to perform. Now he is back with his show at Hollywood Fringe and it is all the more meaningful for the wait, I think!
This autobiographical solo show revolves around Larry’s daughter’s request for him to give a speech at her wedding. This unlocks something in him, giving him a reason to face the things about himself he needed to and to explore healing and redemption. What is a little more unique about his particular story is how he did this. He took a trip…I mean, a real trip with Mother Ayahuasca as his guide!
During this wild and crazy trip, he finds himself. Sounds a bit corny, but who among us wouldn’t want to do just the same? To find purpose, peace and even a little self forgiveness. All this richly drawn and beautifully furious activity, it actually happened to him over a couple of days, in a tent full of complete strangers and just before his daughter’s wedding, is absolutely brilliantly portrayed by Larry.
He is eloquent, hilarious and full of sweet candor. With many extremely funny and at times quite graphic details about the effects Ayahuasca actually has on your body. He talks not only about his trip, his hallucinations and his slightly irritating habit of talking about everything to everyone during this mostly silent event, but also about what has happened since. The peace he has found. The love, the hope and the new and improved Larry…and all unfolding from a cup full of goo taken with a bunch of total strangers in the desert.
Larry Davidson is also a gifted artist, and as he shares his life journey with us and everything that brought him to this particular point, his beautiful and equally hilarious art is projected on the backstage. Imagine the art from the magazine MAD was personalized just for you! It really is like seeing inside his mind as he shares his story! Bravo, Larry!!
Stumbling on Ceremony: From Ayahuasca Confessions to My Daughter’s Wedding has a couple more dates rounding out the Hollywood Fringe Festival!
Tickets:
https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/11923?tab=tickets
When:
Thursday, June 05 at 8:30 pm, Sunday, June 22 at 5:30 pm, Saturday, June 28 at 2:15 pm
Where:
The Zephyr Theatre
7456 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046
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Check out more Hollywood Fringe Festival 2025 show reviews>>