25th Play - The Absentee by Julia Doolittle

This play was sent to me by a colleague. She had me at “It’s set in outer space …”

Summary: "Far out in the Milky Way, “Beacons” serve as lighthouses for warping spaceships around the galaxy. When a U.S. Space Forces ship explodes near Beacon 44.AR.90, its Operator finds herself alone in deep space with only her ship’s A.I. for companionship. That is, until a persistent canvasser calls, desperate to convince her to vote absentee in the 2088 election." (Playwright's website)

Loved: The dark and self-deprecating humor of this piece was enjoyable, and felt really realistic for someone essentially living ALONE IN SPACE. Ack. The idea of doing that makes my bones ache, although the Operator has some good reasons. That being said, you can see that she's starting to fall apart. Her frustration with the turtle-like speed of beauracracy rings dead on - we've all been there. Pressing the call button to communicate with a spaceship doing the clean-up on the exploded vessel nearby, which is keeping her from leaving, she ends up listening to hold music and a "Please stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order it was received." For anyone who has tried to call a Walgreens and wanted to strangle themselves in frustration in the last few years, this is such a relatable moment! And also very ironic, considering that clearly the technology in the 2088 world of the play seems like it SHOULD be better. Did Captain Kirk ever get a "please hold" message? The Operator's frustration is palpable. I also really enjoyed her desperate need for and also incredible frustration at the "Beacon," the A.I. of her ship who appears as a woman. The Operator yells at Beacon in frustration, then is desperately upset when the A.I. instigates "dissassociation" protocol and shuts down for several hours. Considering all the buzz about A.I. currently, this feels like a very timely comment. Who hasn't yelled at Siri or Alexa, and then wondered if there might be some deep consequences? I mean they literally are programmed to remember ALL THE THINGS. It also speaks to the Operator’s very deep loneliness. I also thought it was clever of the playwright to have created a technological "solution" to keep humans from being alone in a job where they effectively need to be. The Beacon also occasionally speaks in the voice of the Operator’s ex-girlfriend as a maneuver to keep her sane, or make her do something that will benefit her life or the ship. So we get a glimpse into some of the reasons for the Operator's loneliness. I also loved the unapologetic optimism of Glenn, the canvasser for the presidential race. I loved that the Operator was so desperate to talk that this guy is a major character in the play, and I also loved that he listens as the Operator diverges from the political conversation, and actually seems to care about her. As the play goes on, things get messy, as they tend to do in sci-fi, and there is a twist that literally left me gasping in surprise. I will NOT reveal that one.

What I didn’t Love: It was tough empathizing with this woman who put herself in a place where she would be incredibly alone, and then she is super frustrated about being alone. To clarify, it wasn't difficult to empathize with the character, it’s that I did not enjoy imagining how mentally painful her life must be. She's on stage the whole play, the clear protagonist, and we feel what she feels. So feeling those feelings were less fun for me. That being said - the writing was really strong and I was able to fully empathize, so, that dislike of mine is a result of good playwriting, I guess. The main thing I liked less about this play was that the action for 80% of the play is in phone conversations between the Operator and others - first with Glenn, the optimistic political caller, and then with Zala, the representative from the government ship (who put the Operator on hold originally). The playwright suggests that those characters are on stage with the Operator - how they interact in these phone calls is up to the director. I guess since these would likely be video calls (that's not sci-fi anymore), we could get a full on conversation with each of them. But until the ending, nothing really happens in the play - it's a lot of talk. It's interesting talk, but there's just no real opportunity for action, based on how the play was set up.

Overall: I was excited to read this play. I had been told it was "Queer, political, sci-fi play set in space." It was VERY different than I expected. Much quieter and slower. Which probably would have been good if I hadn't expected ... more? It's a play, not TV or film, you're not going to get TOO much action in a space ship, but I just expected more. That being said, I think if I hadn't been a little let down by my own expectations, I would have enjoyed the piece thoroughly on its own merits. It's very funny, and the central character of the Operator is both really understandable and really frustrating. Very human, in other words. Seeing her humanity smash up against technology is realistic, hilarious, and occasionally poignant, particularly in her frustration with the absoluteness of the Beacon, her A.I., and then her desperation at the A.I.’s shutting down for several hours after that frustration is vented. Add to that the loneliness of missing her girlfriend, who she originally paints for us in a perfect light, but then imperfections are revealed. Lastly, we see the ultimate frustration of having to “patiently” wait, and not being able to do anything, which gets worse towards the end of the play. Living with that loneliness and frustration isn't easy, but the playwright uses humor really well to diffuse it. At the same time annoying and adorable, Glenn, the political canvasser, is a ray of sunshine in this literal darkness of space. Right on message with the frustration and humor of this piece embodied by Glenn is the idea that YOU STILL GET POLITICAL CALLS IN SPACE!!! Aaargh! Also, the twist toward the end is very surprising. So ultimately it's a fun read, and I've heard that audiences really enjoy the piece. I liked it a lot! Dark comedies, yes!

Here’s a link to Google Sheets with more info about the play: Play a Day Sheet

Read more about Julia Doolittle: http://www.juliadoesalot.com/