Review: THE ENIGMATIST at Emerson Studio In The Loretto-Hilton Center

Codes, crosswords, and kiwis come together for The Rep’s latest studio production. The Enigmatist, written by and starring David Kwong, a illusionist and knowledge gatherer whose expertise has been showcased in several television and film projects, is a mindbending show powered by brain power.

Gifted with a charming and charismatic stage presence, Kwong serves as a cruciverbalist for the New York Times. He has transitioned from creating puzzles to solving them in front of captive audiences.

In this innovative one-man show, Kwong uses his excellent storytelling skills to tell the tale of George Fabyan. Fabyan is an elusive lover of ciphers whose drive to solve them makes him morally ambiguous and prickly. Obsessed with codes, puzzles, and hidden mysteries, his determination affects those around him.

While Kwong’s story has some hogwash in it, there are factual elements in the narrative that the audience must remember to help discover vital clues that help them crack a code that opens a mysterious box onstage.

To help make the pieces fit together, Kwong uses sleight-of-hand to astound and confound. Assisted by the audience, he performs card tricks, numerical riddles, and clever magic deceptions, all desgned to reveal clues to solving the code that opens the box.

A passionate lover of puzzles, Kwong’s excitement about solving them is infectious. His rapid-fire delivery conveys an exuberance in flummoxing his audience.

The show features him at work doing card tricks and creating and solving a Scrabble puzzle onstage. Later, he ties up the George Fabyan narrative with shocking results. Then, his mind races at breakneck speed as he creates a crossword puzzle from scratch onstage.

Cleverly, his tricks and puzzles all have a rooted purpose. When revealed, they create several “wow” moments. The results are jaw-dropping.

To make the experience even more fulfilling, guests are encouraged to arrive about thirty minutes before showtime to explore the Puzzle Garden in the Rep’s lobby. This pre-show treat features four puzzles related to the show that serve as hidden clues.

While not mandatory to enjoy or understand the production, this interactive adventure enhances Kwong’s escapades.

From the onset, Kwong and his bag of tricks delightfully scramble the brains of those watching as they attempt to sort out what they have just seen.

Blending the theater of the mind, math, logic, and visual trickery, The Enigmatist is a mind-blowing and engaging evening of entertainment that cause head shakes, screams of disbelief, and moments of euphoric amazement. 

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