Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Karen Hartman’s speculative drama NEW GOLDEN AGE unfolds like a disorienting “Dark Mirror” episode

• By drediman
• June 8, 2022
• No Comments

I recently caught Karen Hartman’s New Golden Age at 59E59 Theaters. The production marks the return to in-person performance for Primary Stages, which over the years has had a successful track record of presenting intriguing new works, and Ms. Hartman’s world premiere play is no exception. It’s also part of 59E59 Theaters’ inaugural VOLT Festival, which celebrates the works of playwrights who have been under-produced in New York. In addition to New Golden Age (which closes tomorrow), other plays by Ms. Hartman represented in the festival include The Lucky Star and Goldie, Max & Milk.

Taking place in the near future, New Golden Age unfolds like a sort of thinking man’s “Dark Mirror” episode depicting a world in which technology and data have further ingrained themselves in the fabric our lives, particularly as developed and pushed by Sunplant, a fictitious mega-corporation. In the meantime, the search for authentic experiences and entertainment – especially in a world that has become increasingly communal and predictable – has only taken a more potent hold on the public’s imagination, causing friction between the monopolistic Sunplant and its over-reliant subscribers. Cleverly, Ms. Hartman alludes to the analogy between such bespoke experiences and the act of theater-making. The playwright also does a fascinating job of conjuring, in striking detail, a speculative social structure and a futuristic linguistic style of communication, all the while remaining relatively vague about the speculative technology, resulting in a disorienting, slightly menacing cautionary tale.

The handsome Primary Stages production has been directed with a confident hand by Jade King Carroll, who keeps tensions taut throughout. The production is also smartly designed, thanks particularly to the efforts of lighting designer Anshuman Bhatia and sound designer Fan Zhang, whose subtle, supple touches transport us into the play’s world. The acting by a quintet of fine actors – Carmen Castillo, Ricardy Fabre, Doug Harris, Mahira Kakkar, and Claire Siebers – is stylized yet specific. Each bring trenchant nuance and conviction to their archetypal characters’ respective journeys.

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NEW GOLDEN AGE
Off-Broadway, Play
Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters
1 hour, 30 minutes (with no intermission)
Through June 9