Through Sunday, La Jolla Playhouse delivers a Without Walls, or WoW experience, with the award-winning show "Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha." It's part clown, part social experiment, and 100% original.
I went into "Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha" thinking it was going to be manic and crazy because it was part of WoW and described as a clown show. But then Julia Masli took the stage in her eccentric but beautiful blue attire, awash in swirling blue lights, and gently inquired if anyone in the audience had a problem.
"There was this simple idea that I had to have to say the word 'problem' to the audience. And then I thought it might just be a five-minute bit, but then the audience were like suddenly sharing things or saying something strange that became funny, or so then it ended up being extended," Masli explained.
I quickly had to reset my expectations because what Masli delivered was an exquisite and empathetic show in which the audience often shared deeply intimate thoughts and concerns.
"I was quite shocked at how people open up," Masli said. "Once someone opens up, then often other people do. Some shows I've had where it's more like funny and no one really shares something personal. But I noticed if there's one person who opens up, or if I open up more, then they also open up. It happens gradually during the show, people start to feel more comfortable as it goes on."
And in opening up, the audience and Masli created a sense of community.
"There's definitely a feeling of community and people wanting to, like, help each other and be there for each other that the show kind of inspires on a good night. Yeah, it's really nice to be a part of that.
As for the title of the show, Masli only offered this comment: "I just liked how it looked visually and I thought it was silly. And then the blurb in the beginning was like, 'ha ha ha, he he ho ho ha ha.' And that was just it. And there was no explanation."
It’s a show that defies explanation because it’s different every performance. The only constant is Masli’s compassionate presence that invites strangers to become friends.
