Flashes

Based on a story by Robert J Sawyer and originally scripted by Jae Dunphy, director Alberto White’s dystopian near future may not be so far away from our present.  As he says in his program notes: “Humans are bad at change, like the frog in the pot of water brought to a boil, we don’t notice anything changing until it’s too late.”  

Terrance Hayman plays detective Andrew Walker with energy and nuanced assuredness.  His emotional range is as broad as it is deep as he’s called to respond to and deal with professional, family and external challenges in a time of crisis.  The five person cast works well together, each member bringing richness to the stories of how people react to rapidly changing circumstances.

There are some memorable lines throughout this production.  One that stuck with me was spoken by Ethan, the devastated professor who spoke of his love of research and learning: “The more time I spend with a problem, the closer I get to discovering myself.”

Members of the audience may recognize themselves in the way each character reacts and responds to the challenges of rapid change.   We are presented with ‘forced future shock‘ and asked to ponder if progress is worth the struggle.