THE HANGOVER REPORT – WalkUpArts’ phone-based BABY JESSICA’S WELL-MADE PLAY is sprawling, unconventional, and fundamentally interactive

WalkUpArts’ phone-based “Baby Jessica’s Well-Made Play”.

In 1987, “Baby Jessica” (i.e., Jessica McClure Morales) inadvertently became a celebrity when at 18 months old she fell into a well. There she remained pinned and stranded for nearly 60 hours until rescuers were able to extract her after much effort. The story was a real-time media sensation, compelling millions of Americans to remain glued to their television sets to see the story to its conclusion (thankfully, it would end happily). The folks at WalkUpArts have drawn inspiration from both the incident and the hoopla that surrounded it for their latest project, the curiously titled, phone-based Baby Jessica’s Well-Made Play.

Those looking for a passive, concise experience should probably stop reading now. Baby Jessica’s Well-Made Play is sprawling, unconventional, and fundamentally interactive. Created by Philip Santos Schaffer (playwright) and Isabel Quinzaños Alonso (director), the chameleonic concoction demands complete engagement over the course of two nights. After the first hour (out of a collective four-and-a-half hours!), the work all but abandons conventional narrative, instead opting to delve inwards into the implications of the whole thing. Among its thematic interests include celebrity culture, social media, and the nature of memory. But more than anything, the work encourages active connection and empathy, which I suspect many of us have missed during the pandemic.

The less you probably know about Baby Jessica’s Well-Made Play, the better. I do want to mention that a seductive aspect of this immersive rabbit hole is the fact that it’s “performed” – through a combination of pre-recorded and live segments – over the phone for only one audience member at a time, resulting in an intimate, personalized experience. The closest thing I can compare it to is 600 Highwaymen’s A Thousand Ways (recently featured in the Public’s Under the Radar festival) – a flattering comparison, even though I wished Baby Jessica took a cue from the other (more focused) work and engaged in the art of conversation a little more playfully and confidently.

RECOMMENDED

BABY JESSICA’S WELL-MADE PLAY
Immersive Theater
WalkUpArts
4 hours, 30 minutes (including 1 intermission)
Currently booking through April 23

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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