Geffen Playhouse hosted a few notable names inside the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater on opening night of Vinny DePonto’s Mindplay. The show, described as “a love letter to the imperfect mind,” is a participatory experience that works when audience members jot down “something that’s recently been weighing on your mind,” like a fear, regret, memory, etc. Guests place the slips of paper in sealed envelopes that are then dropped in a fishbowl.
Throughout the night, DePonto pulls out the envelopes at random, one by one, and invites guests on stage for mind-reading exercises. Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up) got the call and DePonto shocked guests by knowing — without opening the envelope — that Giacchino had zeroed in on a favorite memory of attending Burning Man.
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Later, it was Abrams’ turn to join DePonto at center stage but his segment got interrupted by an elderly female guest who fell down a set of stairs on her way to the stage. With his concentration interrupted, DePonto invited Abrams to return to his seat while he instead focused on the woman (who was fine, despite the tumble).
“He was pretty, great, right?” praised an unbothered Abrams after the show as he was joined by Giacchino and veteran cinematographer Larry Fong. “We’ve all been fans of magic and all that geekery for a long time so it was great to see this show. He’s terrific.”
For the record: Abrams’ envelope contained a thought of his late grandfather, Harry. Mindplay runs through Dec. 18.
This story first appeared in the Nov. 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
