Review: ‘The Pearl’ & ‘The Trick’ at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026

Cast and crew of "The Pearl" & "The Trick" at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026

“The Pearl” & “The Trick” are two plays written by Joe Praml that explore greed, loneliness, and emotional and moral indifference.

“The Pearl” follows a family waiting for their grandmother to die, but instead of grieving, they seem more interested in what they can get from her. When a valuable black pearl is discovered inside Grandma, the play becomes a dark and funny look at how selfish people can be when money is involved.

“The Trick” takes place in a rundown bar where two businessmen and two sex workers are caught in a tense and uncomfortable exchange. When a man nearby threatens to jump from a tall building, the moment forces the characters to reveal their loneliness, selfishness and emotional disconnect.

The performances in this production are decent overall. However, the cast’s chemistry across the board feels inconsistent at times, and there are moments when the performers power through dialogue instead of letting certain plot points and emotional beats land. The cast has a good understanding of their characters, but some moments could benefit from more emotional depth and patience.

Juan Sanchez Sarabia as the Doctor and Arthur Dayants as Grandma in “The Pearl” both have memorable moments. Loryn Jackson as Yvette in “The Trick” also stands out in her respective role. Each performer brings something specific to the production, even when the rhythm of the show feels uneven.

Set design is minimal for both acts. “The Pearl” uses video projection (designed by Anahit Arzrumtsyan) to create a background for Grandma’s house. “The Trick” uses two small round black tables, four chairs, a small jukebox and a modest counter to create the feeling of a rundown bar.

Cast and crew of "The Pearl" & "The Trick" at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026

Hamsik Sargsyan’s direction of “The Pearl” features blocking that works well, and I was able to see each actor clearly throughout the act. The pacing works for the most part, but there were moments where the dialogue moved too quickly, making it hard to fully absorb the given circumstances until later in the scene.

But costume design by Eliza Sukiasyan helps establish character, and overall, I was able to capture Sargsyan’s vision. And the cast does a good job supporting each other and actively listening.

“The Trick” is directed by Alexandria Sanders. Blocking is fluid and Sanders does a nice job making the space feel larger through how she places and moves the actors. However, the pacing feels helter-skelter as a whole, which makes it challenging to fully understand the play, the characters and the stakes.

As with “The Pearl,” Sukiasyan’s costume design helps ground the performances, but the chemistry among cast members doesn’t always feel rooted. I can see what Sanders is going for, and I think slowing the piece down would help elevate the production. But I enjoyed the brief choreography at the beginning of “The Pearl.” It was a nice touch and helped pull the audience into the world of the piece.

Both plays have strong ideas and memorable moments but would benefit from more patient pacing and deeper emotional grounding from the actors. “The Pearl” feels more cohesive, while “The Trick” has potential but needs more time for the relationships and stakes to fully develop. Still, the direction, design choices and select performances give the production as a whole enough substance to engage with during the Fringe Festival.

For tickets to this and other Hollywood Fringe Festival shows, visit HollywoodFringe.org.