The Mall The Mall The Mall

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The Mall The Mall The Mall is a magical realist comedy about three teenagers traversing a suburban mall in search of stolen fandom merchandise. Along the way, they encounter a coterie of increasingly strange antagonists and have some surprisingly sincere moments of self-discovery. The script, from writer Philip Kenner (BOYSTUFF, “Stand & Repent”), is quite sharp. The directing from James Wyrwicz (Is This a Theater Of Love?, I Love You Jesus Christ!) is wickedly funny, with blocking that brings out the humor of the script while letting the emotional beats still land as they should. Kurt Cruz’ sound design adds quite a lot of comedy as well.

The show might lack songs, but it often has the emotional tenor of a musical – the magical realism, the fourth-wall-breaking humor, and the dramatic emotional shifts of the three teens. There are five or six moments in the show that feel as if they were designed for a song to go there. The show’s lack of songs doesn’t drag it down, however – even without them, it’s still an wonderfully fun production.

One of the show’s greatest strengths is the specificity of its setting and the characters’ place within it. The exact year is never stated, but the show simply oozes late 2000s/early 2010s. The show’s three teens, Naomi, Viv, and Charlie – played by Ellena Eshraghi (Mean Girls, 2024 film), Mahayla Laurence (Kyk Hoe Skyn die Son at Clubbed Thumb’s Winterworks), and Trent Williams (Dead Ringers on Amazon Prime), respectively – all feel incredibly real and accurate to the time and place. Naomi wears mismatched loud patterns and creepy doll earrings while complaining about “fake fans,” there’s a recurring joke about Viv trying to prove she’s smarter than an iPhone, and Charlie at one point declares that his mom told him hand lotion is too effeminate. If Kenner isn’t the first playwright to namedrop Homestuck (a webcomic that ran from 2009 to 2016) in their work, they are almost certainly the first one to make the reference seem entirely organic.

The show does not simply coast on nostalgia for the very recent past, however. The play treats fandom as something people take comfort in, but also something that they often use as a way to avoid showing vulnerability and forming genuine connections with others. It’s a welcome depiction of such a prevalent social phenomenon, one that feels honest without being overly mean to its subjects.

The actors are all excellent in their roles, especially Mia Wurgaft (Twelfth Night at The Public) as Sylvia, the villainous henchwoman to main antagonist Dennis, who is played by Mikey Fiocco (Time Hole at The Tank). She’s given by far the most over-the-top role, with her character constantly trying to trap the teens in her evil schemes by posing as various mall employees. She’s hilarious throughout, often playing the slightly-repressed foil to Fiocco’s Jack-Black-esque scheming as Dennis or haranguing the teens with promises of mall tchotchkes. The funniest of these scenes is when she seduces Charlie into ditching his striped sweater for a white tank top, chinos, and frat boy cologne. The duo is both excellent in the scene, with Williams playing up the character’s imitation of that archetype of man to great comedic effect and Wurgaft egging him on. The character’s eventual defeat is equally well-done, with Wurgaft given an appropriately over-dramatic final sequence choreographed by fight choreographer Daniel Light.

Eshraghi plays the fandom-obsessed Naomi, the teens’ unofficial leader. Her character has the most dramatic emotional journey of the main cast, and Eshraghi portrays the change skillfully. With her line delivery, she walks the tightrope of funny and sincere quite well. Laurence, meanwhile, brings a lot of depth to Viv, portraying the character as a know-it-all who genuinely does know it all. Laurence is quite charming and likeable in the role. Rounding out the trio of teens, Williams gives a wonderfully silly performance as friend-group-third-wheel Charlie.

The set design, overseen by designer Benny Pitt, makes excellent use of the small space. A rack of fake plants and some clever use of colored lighting (overseen by designer Vittoria Orlando) makes the stage feel like the mall seamlessly. Patricia Marjorie’s costume design communicated the personalities of the characters quite well, from Viv’s bright-orange hoodie to Charlie’s sweater vest.

The Mall The Mall The Mall is an incredibly fun show. At 85 minutes, it never drags once, no scene ever feels extraneous or drawn-out. The writing, direction, acting, and production all come together cohesively to make a show that is effortlessly charismatic. Wickedly funny and ceaselessly charming, the play achieves exactly what it sets out to do.

The Mall The Mall The Mall (through March 22, 2026)

Twin Fruit Productions

The Tank, 312 W. 36th St, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit http://www.thetanknyc.org

Running time: 85 minutes without an intermission