Analog Friend

Description
*** [THREE STARS] Manny Liyes's "Analog Friend" is a little like Orwell's "1984," only with less Big Brother and more Dr. Phil. The show's futurist nation regulates its community with rulebooks for household fights and public rallies to promote healthy emotional releases. As a bonus, it also boasts cures to every known disease. But despite—-and sometimes because of—-their physical security, several characters struggle to keep their cool amid the public mandates for personal happiness. Thus we meet an aptly named rebel, Chance, under investigation for murder. The man-against-the-Man premise is promising, but Liyes's ideas get lost between the play's clashing plots of murder mystery and sentimental love story. As Chance and his girlfriend, Will Manning and Nicole Beckwith--standouts in the small cast--bring the show's lofty theories down to a more personal level in their natural love scenes. But these touching moments get lost under heavy-handed green and blue lighting. And although the play seemingly aims to criticize formulaic self-improvement, the dialogue packs more armchair philosophy than a "My True Heroes" episode of "Oprah."—-Alison Rohrs, Editorial Intern