What I liked
It is extremely apparent how much love, passion, and honesty went into this show.
The book, music, and the overall text of the play is a delicious exploration of what it means to be a person. Like all good transhumanist stories, it explores what being a person really looks like and how sometimes we’re messy and sometimes we’re removed, but we’re all people. From something as simple as “when does an AI become a person” to “what does it mean if I don’t participate in normal human things?”, the show explores feeling excluded, included, and self-exiled in your own life, both from things you can control and things that are intrinsic to your nature. The music was tonally always right on the mark. Sinister with a smile or sweet with some mania behind it. Or sincere and heartwarming.
The lights, props, and costumes really enhanced that slick, Silicone-Valley-of-the-future tone of the show without being too sci-fi. The costumes really sing with their strong color pallets, great silhouettes, and their grasp of movement. I especially enjoyed the use of reflective and matte materials vs pattern and texture. The choices of props were pitch-perfect. When the show could have gone grotesque and dark, the light-hearted props kept the tone light and focused.
The overall direction of the show clearly ripped great moments out of the intimate solo and one-on-one scenes and kept the stage from feeling overcrowded when everyone was in the space. The use of blocking and place-making on the stage with the simple furniture was clean and concise, but very effective and kept the show from meandering outside of what the real point was.
The choreography was fun and lively without moving into campy unless it was doing it purposefully and the cast kept up the beat.
The cast itself was wonderful. The talent was exploding off the stage. They each brought their own magnetic charisma. The ensemble clearly understood the balance they had to keep to make the show feel real while handling some of the absurdist part of the story. Aliza Pearl was heartbreakingly removed but extremely charming and vulnerable in her portrayal of Mary. Bonnie Gordon blew me away – both with the power of her vocals and the sharp wit and severity she brought to Lavender. Jessica Reiner-Harris was delicious, delightful, and disturbing as the happy but oh-so-terrifying Faun. Kelby Jo McClellan ripped my heart out with their sweet and honest portrayal of MARSH. Rob Warner was sharp and made being a supervillain look easy and alluring. Xander Jeanneret was so sweet and funny as the bouncy, eager to please Billie.
What I didn't like
Nothing! So delightful! I hope there is more to come!
My overall impression
A heartfelt exploration of what it means to be human and find yourself.
