What a World! What a World!
Written by Eric Marlin; Directed by Ilana Khanin
The Tank NYC | 312 W 36th St., New York, NY 10018
July 9-August 2, 2026
Photo Credit: Maria Baranova
What happens when two performers deconstruct an obscure fictional 1943 melodrama about a socialite who falls in love with a working-class Maine fisherman? Eric Marlin's What a World! What a World!, directed by Ilana Khanin, begins with The Pearl of My Oyster, the fictional film in which Charlotte Talversen falls for Keith Butch, before gleefully unraveling it through drag, queer ways of watching, and the traditions of the Theatre of the Absurd.
From the moment I settled into my seat, the house music ("My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and The Chordettes' "Pink Shoe Laces" among it) set a tone of nostalgic charm edged with irreverence. The result is a theatrical collage that feels equal parts film criticism, performance art, and affectionate parody.
Presented on a nearly gray and blank stage at The Tank, the production demonstrates how much can be achieved with imagination rather than spectacle. Skye Mahaffie's lighting design and Ilana Khanin's scenic concept add another layer to the storytelling, using a fan, practical work lights, washes, and spots, and a striking backdrop to transform the space into an ever-changing theatrical playground. The design never overwhelms the piece. Instead, it sharpens the audience's focus and proves that creativity often flourishes within limitations. The inventive staging is the kind that leaves fellow theatre-makers taking mental notes.
Marlin's play draws from the traditions of the Theatre of the Absurd, embracing contradiction, fractured identities, and a delightfully unstable theatrical reality. At its heart is an intentionally layered puzzle. The production unfolds through four overlapping layers of characters: Keith and Charlotte from The Pearl of My Oyster; a drag king and drag queen performing those same roles; a queer couple watching the movie; and another queer couple watching a recording of that drag performance. Along the way, identities blur, performers slip between characters, and the lines separating spectator from subject dissolve. As the script cheekily reminds us, "Don't worry about keeping it all straight. Nothing about this should be straight." Rather than creating confusion, these shifting perspectives become part of the evening's playful invitation to question not only the film at its center, but the act of watching itself.
Queen-Tiye Akamefula, as Not Keith, and Annie Hoeg, as Not Charlotte, commit fully to every transformation the play demands. Whether embodying the melodrama's lovers, inhabiting drag personas, or stepping outside the action to analyze the film itself, both performers navigate the constant shifts with precision, confidence, and infectious joy. Their chemistry anchors the production's increasingly playful deconstruction, making even its most surreal moments feel purposeful.
Ultimately, What a World! What a World! is not interested in determining whether The Pearl of My Oyster is a forgotten masterpiece or simply a forgotten movie. Instead, it explores how audiences construct meaning, bringing their own identities, desires, and experiences into every act of watching. Clever, inventive, and unabashedly theatrical, Marlin and Khanin's production reminds us that some of the most rewarding evenings in the theatre are the ones that invite us to embrace uncertainty and enjoy the ride.
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Review by Malini Singh McDonald.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on July 16, 2026. All rights reserved.