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Regional Reviews: San Francisco Build Also see Jeanie's review of Eurydice, Patrick's review of X's and O's (A Football Love Story) and Richard's reviews of Blithe Spirit and The Cable Car Nymphomaniac
Kip (George Psarras) and Will (Max Tachis) have partnered in creating video games, one of which achieved great success for them, including a buy-out by an obnoxious tech mogul. But "Maelstrom" is due for a 2.0 version, which can't happen without Kip's coding expertise to fix all the known bugs. Unfortunately for Will, Kip has retreated ever since his wife Allison (Morgan Voellger) died, becoming reclusive and paranoid, and refusing to go into the office to work with the coding team. Kip lives in his bathrobe, amid empty pizza boxes and take-out containers; Will enjoys designer suits and his Ferrari. As Will begs Kip to work on the task at hand, the two men quarrel over the past, their partnership, how to write code, and their disparate lifestyles. The only thing they agree on is their dislike for the mogul, Malcolm, and how his office environment has taken the fun out of game dev. But there's an interesting twist, as a woman (Voellger) appears intermittently, as a shadowy figure reciting old emails, or a face on numerous computer monitors, playing a sophisticated computer game with Kip. We begin to understand that she's a digital representation, a life-like demonstration of Artificial Intelligence beyond anything currently known, of Kip's deceased wife. As real as she is, she's still not actually Allison, which finally hits home with Kip, and hits him hard. Will discovers the A.I. Allison by accident, admires the technology, and begins to educate her about the real Allison, but doesn't get far with it. Midpoint, the play descends into a long slow stretch, then emerges in a scene of total fantasy, which seems out of keeping with the rest of the piece. There are also significant story gaps—Golamco apparently leaves some things to the audience's discretion. Still, it's an intriguing, layered story, with depth of feeling and acutely drawn characters, and the scenes with A.I. Allison are utterly compelling and fascinating. You know it's theatrical illusion, but acted and portrayed so well that you find yourself believing the device. All three actors do a great job of fleshing out their characters, giving them shades and nuances and honesty, which is critical, making the play more than just a tech showcase. Nick Kumamoto's lighting design and use of projections and the monitors superbly takes us inside the technology, sensing the real-ness of A.I. Allison, the ghost stepping out of the machine that created her. Ron Gasparinetti's set captures Kip's Palo Alto home on its downslide into neglect, and creates an effective backdrop for the projections. Psarras also contributes a lovely sound design, underscoring the action in ways that assist pacing. Pat Tyler's costumes give great insight into the characters' evolving states of mind, and Christina Sturken has had a field day with the extensive properties. Despite the play's weaknesses, the production overall is impressive and well done, and well worth seeing. You may even find yourself a little haunted by the brilliantly imagined Allison and her dulcet digital tones. Build by Michael Golamco, presented by City Lights Theater Company, 529 S. Second Street, San Jose; through February 22, 2015. Tickets $17 - $32; available at www.cltc.org or at 408-295-4200.
- Jeanie K. Smith |
