Hold On To Your Butts at SoHo Playhouse

Natalie Rich courtesy of JT Anderson

The best part of Hold On To Your Butts is the trailers beforehand. The show, which is a fairly faithful adaptation of the film, Jurassic Park, is meant to parody a movie-going experience in its entirety. A screen swivels down from the rafters and a series of jokey movie previews roll. We see a budget Neo tumble through a Matrix on a public street. It’s giving we have movies at home. 

Hold On To Your Butts was conceptualized by the comedy ensemble Recent Cutbacks, a group that describes themselves as “sitting at the intersection of comedy and theatre.” Founder Kristin McCarthy Parker directed, and the cast was made up of just three performers. This production features Kerry Ipema, Natalie Rich, and Kelly Robinson as the foley artist. Butts is part of the Fringe Encore series at SoHo Playhouse, which revives successful productions from Edinburgh Festival Fringe for extended showings. 

The 60-minute run time consists largely of silly tableaus and callbacks from the 1993 classic film. It’s best suited for Jurassic Park enthusiasts and their children. Some of the dialogue is so referential that it’s hard to untangle if you haven’t recently watched the film.  It’s clear the production was developed out of a deep appreciation for the original work, so best it remains a fan club for those who share the same nostalgia. 

There are a few striking moments: a two-person dinosaur constructed out of traffic cones and contorted bodies, a car tumbling off a cliff using the forced perspective of a toy, actors playing multiple parts using accents and a pair of glasses. The foley, who functions as both the complete sound design and somewhat of a Greek chorus, adds a fun dimension to the otherwise straightforward riff.

For the dramaturge or someone looking for a highbrow evening of good theater, Hold On To Your Butts might be a skip. But if you’re a Spielberg head with fart-joke-loving 10-year-olds, this production might be the perfect evening.