The Seaweed Sisters first full live performance “WEED OH NO!” was a whimsical, delightful, carefully-curated evening of dance and fun. Performed in the cavernous underground theater space at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, the three talented and charismatic “sisters,” Megan Lawson, Jillian Meyers, and Dana Wilson, invited us into an evening of silly games and rituals. Even as we entered, the attention to detail was clear: each of the three entry doors to the theater was decorated in one of the sisters’ signature colors, matching the decor of that third of the stage. Lawson is always pink, Meyers green, and Wilson blue.
Things were already happening as we found our seats. The decor making up the backdrop of the stage was created out of a patchwork of textiles. Hanging above were white clouds, also patchworked together out of fabric and clothing, and high above the back wall were hanging clotheslines, always featuring three of each item, one in each of their signature colors. In the space, the sisters were already playing games, often involving the audience, with inner tubes, ball pit balls, and laundry baskets. Wandering the space were three Roombas, each sporting one of the signature colors and topped with giant googly eyes. We got an intro to their pseudo-gibberish secret language as the sisters played and interacted with each other and the audience, including many younger audience members who were up past their bedtime for this fun adventure.
The Seaweed Sisters – (L-R) Megan Lawson, Jillian Meyers, Dana Wilson in WEED OH NO – Photo by Owen Scarlett.
Over the course of the show, we were introduced to various rituals and daily happenings of the sisters. Pieces of the set, like a blender on a small pedestal, a trunk (as they called it: “tickle trunk”), and a fridge labelled “SMIDGE”, stood out among the textile backdrops and hinted at adventures to be had. The journey reminded me of childhood shows like “The Big Comfy Couch” where the host would take us to areas of her room for different activities, varying from day to day in specifics but with a predictable level of repetition. We just were visiting for one night, but it felt as though the sisters shared these escapades each day.
We quickly learned that “smidge” (the fridge) was magical and would transform the items that they placed inside of it, leading to new costume pieces or playthings. Nothing was explained to us, but often the gist of things could be figured out, and the leftover mysteriousness was enjoyable to behold. Lawson, Meyers, and Wilson were absolutely committed to their characters throughout the evening. A few times, something happened that might have been accidental, like when their blender was knocked over as they danced around it, but their reactions sold it. I couldn’t tell if some of these moments were planned or just covered extremely well.
The Seaweed Sisters – (L-R) Jillian Meyers, Megan Lawson, Dana Wilson in WEED OH NO – Photo by Owen Scarlett.
Particularly because their verbal communication came in the form of a gibberish language, their physicality was extremely important even when they were not dancing. They would interact and dance with the various objects or costumes that flew out of “smidge” or “tickle trunk.” There were, however, larger portions of dancing, which showed off the trio’s impeccable musicality, creative use of gestures, and pure joy.
In the middle of the show, each of the sisters had their own color-themed solo. Meyers’ solo lamented about how it isn’t easy being green as she showed off isolations and smooth undulations. Wilson’s blue solo featured a hat, and as she moved with her head tipped down, in the shadowy light it felt like a dancing suit with a floating hat instead of a head. She was fluid, and I loved when she incorporated humor as she started to comically mark certain movements near the end of her solo. Dancing to excerpts including “Pink Pony Club,” Lawson incorporated props and showed off quick swirls of movement to finish out the solos.
The Seaweed Sisters – (L-R) Jillian Meyers,Dana Wilson, Megan Lawson in WEED OH NO – Photo by Owen Scarlett.
One of the strongest aspects of their choreography was musicality – the selected music was often repetitive or pulsing, but their interpretation of the music kept things fresh. They would move quickly, using detailed gestures that would incorporate individual fingers or even their faces, and then stop for an extended moment. It reminded me of the idea of a freeze in Hip-Hop but utilized in their own quirky jazzy contemporary vocabulary. I loved the way that they would perfectly capture the feeling of a song in a totally unexpected way. For example, they danced to the recognizable “Shake” by the Ying-Yang Twins, matching movements to specific sounds and bringing to life the chaos of the song as they performed with and tossed around plastic laundry baskets.
The level of detail in their choreography was also impressive. While the vocabulary felt entirely their own, I could see Jazz and Hip-Hop influence in the way they isolated body parts and did movements with similar quality to tutting and popping. Their attention to detail made their skill as dancers clear to me, and every once in a while they would throw in a turn or a tilt or slide that showcased their strong dancing abilities even more.
The dance sections seemed to highlight the emotional peaks of the show. Later, the sisters reached a conflict with each other, leading to a giant cloud from the set to lower covering their heads. In a slower section, they moved with slow winding gestures, emerging one at a time for solos of smooth floorwork. Mostly the dancing was pure exuberance, and the final dance section was the most energetic and technical, with a jazzy quality throughout as they moved sharply and traversed the stage with bigger moves.
The Seaweed Sisters – (L-R) Jillian Meyers,Dana Wilson, Megan Lawson in WEED OH NO – Photo by Owen Scarlett.
I’ve written about the precision and specificity in the trio’s choreography, but this attention to detail came through in every part of the show. Throughout the show, they had various costume changes, and each look was perfectly whimsical. The excellent costume design was done by Cathy Cooper. Previously mentioned, the set designed by Kelle Meschede, brought us right into the world of The Seaweed Sisters. The lighting designed by Camille Roberts was used effectively to shift the mood or setting throughout the show.
A three person show with this level of physicality is certainly challenging to execute, and I could see to some extent which parts functioned as breaks for the dancers. If the show is developed further, some of the sequencing could be looked at to keep things going, especially in the second half for the audience. The beginning felt like a much longer chunk of continuous action, but the second half had more moments that slowed down for me.
This show was challenging to write about because it was such an immersive experience – you really had to be there. It was a mix of dance, play, comedy, and physical theater. The world is a tough place right now, and sometimes you just need to laugh and get away. “WEED OH NO!” was a perfect delightful dose of absurdity for these trying times.
To learn more about The Seaweed Sisters, please visit their website.
To learn more about the producing entity of WEED OH NO! – The Center for Provocative Thought, please visit their website.
For more information about the Los Angeles Theatre Center, please visit their website.
This article was edited on 6/10/2026.
Written by Rachel Turner for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: The Seaweed Sisters – (L-R) Megan Lawson, Dana Wilson, Jillian Meyers in WEED OH NO – Photo by Owen Scarlett.
