Everyone knows when entering a theater, it’s time to turn your phone on silent and disconnect from the screen. But after watching Bradley’s theatre department’s production of Sarah Ruhl’s “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” the audience may never want to turn their smartphones back on.
Running until March 4, this show shines a light on the good, the bad and the deadly of constant connection with technology through humorous and unusual moments.
This play centers on a main character who attempts to craft a better version of life from behind the screen of a cell phone. Timid and socially awkward Jean, played by senior theater arts major Rebekah Farr, discovers Gordon, played by senior music business and marketing double major Zach Olson, who has died in a café. Taking personal responsibility for his ever-ringing cell phone, Jean begins her journey in this surprisingly dark romantic comedy.
Through Jean, the audience sees the effects of always being on a mobile device. Jean finds herself living at the hands of unknown numbers and strange requests that put her in scary and rather confusing situations.
Having seen Olson in several roles on Bradley’s stage before, his performance in “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” was striking. I wasn’t expecting much from the dead guy, but when he rose from his chair to give a five-minute monologue, I was impressed with how much he made me hate his character. With the stage to himself, his narcissistic delivery made me want to wipe the smug look off his face. I wish there would have been some redeeming quality to his character that could make up for the extent Jean goes to make Gordon into a beloved man.
The contrast between Jean and Gordon was strikingly like a comic book villain and hero. As much as I hoped to find more depth in these two, it seemed they were just as they appeared throughout much of the performance – the good and bad sides of a coin.
The rest of the cast takes this weird journey to a new level with their enthusiasm and the occasional shouted obscenity. The role of Gordon’s widow, Hermia, is played by junior public relations major Hannah Gustafson. Along with Gordon’s mother, Mrs. Gottlieb, played by freshman television arts major Jody Holtz, these two characters are full of dramatic and cringe-worthy lines, accompanied by the comedic timing and bravery of the actresses.
In fact, Mrs. Gottlieb may be the best character in the show because I never knew what was going to come out of her mouth. In the moments she was overcome with grief, I expected to hear the cries of a loving mother. Instead, there was a lot of shouting and some very aggressive insults thrown at her son’s widow. A character this out there can be easy to overdo, or worse, fall flat on. But Holtz’s performance never ceased to awe me. She stole the spotlight, no matter who else was on stage with her. I almost felt sorry for the rest of the cast because nothing could keep me from watching in anticipation when this mother of terror was on stage.
Mix the bold with the sweet moments of Farr’s Jean and her love interest Dwight, played by sophomore history and theatre arts double major Jake Winkle, along with the dripping narcissism and uncaring attitude of Olson’s Gordon, and these characters make this eccentric story one worth paying attention to.
Get ready to truly immerse yourself in a world full of the unexpected because one blink, and you could miss the dark undertones of what’s really going on. Just remember, the theater is no place for a cell phone.
