[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Hexen – An Ancestral Witch Play, written by and starring Dreya Weber at El Portal Theatre on November 22.
Dreya Weber is a phenomenon. An actress, writer, director and producer she is also an expert aerialist designing and choreographed aerials for Magic Mike, Las Vegas, London, Berlin, and Australia and for musical artist P!nk’s aerial numbers since 2004. She has also worked with Cher, Madonna, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Rhianna, Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, to name a just a few.
But this play is not only about her incredible aerialist skills, and they really are astonishing. Dreya traces the story of the persecution of witches from the very beginnings in ancient Rome, Germany to Salem and beyond. She reminds us that who people were taught to fear by religious men were mostly healers, midwives and alchemists and she does this by telling the stories of three women. Three so-called ‘witches’ whose only crime was to be free spirited and fiercely independent of the patriarchal world they lived in.
She accomplishes all this while mesmerizing us with her shining strength, charming us with her timeless beauty, and effortlessly entertaining us with her skillful, emotional storytelling. It’s like being in the presence of a tribal leader. A medicine woman, a spirit guide whose purpose is only to heal us, help us and pass on these important and long-forgotten stories…in the hopes these tragedies will never occur again.
From the very first moment in the theatre you are very aware that something magical is happening. A mysterious old woman is helping to usher us to our seats, sweetly taking us by the arm to the seats she has picked out just for us. The beautifully composed music creates an atmosphere of excitement as do the long-woven ropes suspended from the ceiling of the lovely Monroe theatre in-the-round. As Dreya peels back her layers of robes she reveals a history as vital to our human knowledge as any other legend passed down by generations.
The stories mingle together, the ancient alchemist executed by the Romans, a young girl forced to live her life in the forest as her family and many others were murdered for their pagan beliefs. And a bewitching woman envied and reviled. Stories that have been repeated over and over the centuries as progress has been stymied by religion, power, fear and ignorance.
Hexen is a glorious show. Full of magic and enchantment, but clear in its message that witches aren’t real. But that strong, driven, powerful women are. How many lives could have been spared if the follies of men and their inane search for power and riches had been but a fleeting moment in history rather than the endlessly unfolding thread of destruction that it still is?
Dreya Weber is a force of nature and her creation, Hexen, is a wildly inventive and innovative show. A testament to her bold, unique life. Fearless, entertaining and unforgettable.
Hexen will be playing for one more night on November 22 at 8pm, I urge you not to miss your chance to see something utterly unique and magical.
Tickets:
https://elportaltheatre.com/hexen.html
When:
November 22, 2024
Where:
El Portal Theatre’s Monroe Forum
5269 Lankershim Blvd, NoHo Arts District, CA 91601