Theater Review: i google myself

by Dennis Sloan of John Garcia's The Column

Performances at WaterTower Theatre's Out of the Loop Fringe Festival kicked off on Thursday night with three events in three spaces. Uncommon Ground's production of Jason Schafer's i google myself, directed by Bruce R. Coleman and appearing in WaterTower's Studio Theatre, is a testament to such a festival's purpose and worth.

Shafer's long one act dark comedy explores both the pratfalls and pitfalls of the technological age in which we live. What begins as a simple internet inquiry turns to obsession and violence, never missing a laugh along the way. Uncommon Ground's production does Shafer's terse and clever dialogue a good deal of justice.

Named only One, Two and Three respectively, actors Kevin Moore, Chad Peterson and Joel McDonald give compellingly complete performances as three men brought together via the internet by the name they share. Moore offers a delightfully (and sometimes disturbingly) nerdy performance as One, who brings the Two and Three together and propels most of the action. As Two, Peterson keeps his physicality open and inviting but his emotions carefully guarded. McDonald's Three moves from moment to moment with natural ease.

Despite a few rushed moments when the action heats up, Coleman paces the play superbly. He moves the action along swiftly when required, but isn't afraid to explore the power of silence. Coleman and his actors get their money's worth out of the humor without overplaying it; the first minute of the production, which features no dialogue at all, ranks as one of its funniest. The kinetic but appropriately restrained staging plays out nicely on the simple set of multicolored cubes. At just over an hour long, i google myself is well worth the ticket price; if Out of the Loop's other productions this year are of similar quality, the Festival Pass could be a smart investment, indeed.

i google myself runs through March 13 in the Studio Theatre. 2009 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival passes, which include one admission to each festival event, are currently available for $60 by calling the WaterTower Theatre Box Office at 972-450-6232. Single tickets can be purchased online or by calling 972-450-6232. Click the following for a complete festival schedule.