"Can You Hear Me Now?" presented by The Sherry Theater

Can You Hear Me Now?

 

Remember that Verizon ad where the forlorn everyman wandered the earth searching for cellular service? He repeated the same mantra, “Can you hear me now?” Thanks to the service of Verizon, however, he eventually connected with his friend or loved one and all was right with the world. These ads were everywhere for several years, and the actor who starred in them became somewhat of a celebrity. He probably still can’t go more than a few days without someone saying “Can you hear me now?” to his face with a mischievous grin. Consumers connected to the ads because they had themselves felt the dismay of dropped calls and missing out on important conversations.  Humanity wants to connect to one another, and although cell phones made that a lot easier, they also made a society that is less patient and is not willing to wait to long just to hear back.

The show I saw on Friday was just a one-weekend event, a program of three short one-acts that discuss the trials and social consequences of persistent connectivity. Aptly titled “Can You Hear Me Now?”, the three plays were all written by members of the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative. Each play discussed an aspect of society in regards to cellular phones, and although the play had lofty ambitions to create a social dialogue on cellular phone use, it fell a little short.

Overall, the three plays were well acted and well directed, each containing humor and entertaining characters. The first one entitled “Can You Hear Me Now?” dealt with two young people discussing the merits of both electronic and face-to-face communication. Although the interaction starts as a man trying to get the girl, it turns into a philosophical discussion about what exactly constitutes human connection. Many of the points brought up in this play (written and directed by Lynne Moses) were interesting: the fact that texting bad news is easier because you don’t have to see the face of the other person, the idea that subtext and context get lost through electronic interaction. I really liked the fact that there were pros and cons to both sides of the argument, which allows more of a realistic dialogue for a world that relies heavily on its cell phones. Unfortunately, the scientific nature of the language left me feeling disconnected from the characters and action.

The second one, entitled “Failure to Communicate,” was the quirkiest and funniest play of the evening. Written and directed by Allie Costa, the plot centers around a young woman, who looks younger than her age, attempting to get her phone case replaced on her old, antiquated device. I use antiquated in the loosest sense of the word, because it’s a cell phone with the entirety of the internet available, but it’s just not a recent phone model. So of course, after some discussion between the salesman and the woman about her looking too young to even have a cellular plan, and her phone being too old, she just gives up and leaves. This store has nothing for her, and in fact, the salesman will not grant her good service until she is will to move into the current model of phones. I loved the palpable humor of this piece, and the repartee between the young woman (Allie Costa) and the Salesman (Gabriel Grier). We’ve all had frustrating interactions of this type when shopping, but the context of a phone store made it even more aggravating. Technology moves so quickly, that the purchase we’ve made that day is entirely out of date by the time we walk out the store. It feels oddly futile, yet we all accept this, and buy into it.

The third one, the most ambitious of the three, alluded to some interesting ideas about identity in the digital age. Some studies have said that using social media can cause depressing feelings in users. “Aspiration/Dream” was about a young woman, lost in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter, saved by a mysterious old woman, and attempting to piece together her past. But why can’t she remember anything about her childhood, or her family, or how she got lost in the snow? The only thing she thinks to do is scroll through her contacts on her cell phone, hoping a name will jog a memory, and ultimately define her humanity. These ideas are so grand in scope, that a 20 min play (written by Vanessa David, directed by Nathan Swain) will never do them justice. But I will say that it does create a journey in the mind, as audiences must consider their own identity as it relates to themselves digitally and tangibly.

The concerns of the shows were valid, but some of the lessons being taught felt somewhat outdated… Like technology itself, some of the provocative questions being asked during this production were perhaps more relevant 5 years ago. Texting at all hours of the day, and using that to substitute face to face conversation is something that has slowly become passé. Oh no, I don’t mean to imply that face to face interaction is back, just that people use different forms of technology to communicate. I would say Facebook is king, but I’ve even heard that the “kids these days” have moved on from that, to instagram, snap chat, or what ever new app is available for extremely quick electronic interactions. This show was a reminder that I a) don’t know what’s hip anymore and b) I should put my phone away every once in awhile and talk to someone face to face.

Although the short run is already over, I really wanted to write about this evening of theater because of the ideas presented. Theater isn’t just about the moment, the night, that particular performance. It is a living, breathing thing that when done well or with interesting subject matter, continues to permeate the mind. 

“Can You Hear Me Now?” 

produced by Pauline Schantzer and 

The Sherry Theater, 11052 Magnolia Blvd. 

North Hollywood, CA 91601. 

For more about The Sherry Theater, 

go to www.sherrytheater.com. 

And for more info on the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative, please go to www.lafpi.com.