[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Paul Coates solo show Boy in a Box as part of the 2026 Solofest at Whitefire Theatre.
Boy in a Box, written and performed by Paul Coates, is provocative, controversial, and utterly riveting.
I normally read the playbill or hear something about the solo show I am about to watch, but not this time. The playbill came in the form of a QR code and I did not scan it. There is usually an introduction by the artistic director of the Whitefire Theatre before each show, reminding us to turn off our cell phones and pointing out the exits in case of any emergency, but not this time.
The stage was set with two small tables on either side and a very large custom-made box centre stage. A scholarly man takes the stage without pomp or circumstance, just plain talk, or so I thought.
As the play began, the contents of the play were slowly being revealed. I couldn’t help but be uncomfortable at first, confused at best, and then was taken to a place of sheer irony. This character of a professor giving a lecture that was forbidden to give was performed for substitute students that the audience represented. We were drawn in not only by the powerful performance of Mr. Coates but also by the words of such potency and pain.
Paul Coates’s performance is so visceral and unapologetic that it left me with some emotions I would rather not feel during a solo show. I was not aware that this show was based on a factual event; therefore, his performance took me to task. Apparently, Mr. Coates did his job very well.
Boy in a Box clearly represented me, as well as my fellow people of color in the audience. I am also of an Indigenous background, so this show spoke directly to me. The symbolism of locking someone away and categorizing them as savage and dangerous was a concept I was already very familiar with. But the magic of this show was the message that the boy in a box was a representation of the crimes and atrocities committed against our fellow man, and that the audience became the perpetuators of these crimes as well as being inside the box, by making them the default of this country. When we are not involved in fixing the problem, we become a part of it.
The show ended abruptly and with one question hanging in the air. It wasn’t after I got home that I read the origin of this performance and put the missing puzzle piece together. Mr. Coates was not just convincing, but he also reached into all of our souls and held up a mirror to us all.
Boy in a Box is an important show to witness during these challenging times in this country, and I use the word ‘witness’ with specificity. We are all witnesses to the terrible acts of racism and violence all around us. These acts are not original; they have been happening for millennia. We are the only way they will end. Inaction is no longer an acceptable choice, and whether or not we feel uncomfortable facing facts or not, we must if we are ever going to live in a fairer, safer, kinder world.
Boy in a Box is a brave choice by a man who is clearly tired of ignorance being an excuse for the continuous infliction of pain. More people need to see an important show like this. Bravo!
Boy in a Box is returning to the Whitefire Theatre for a limited run. I highly recommend that you see it. Take your friends! Take your family!
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To see what shows are playing, check out the NoHo Theatre Guide>>