THE HANGOVER REPORT – Mary Elizabeth Hamilton’s SMART continues EST’s exploration of the influence of technology on the human experience

Christine Farrell and Kea Trevett in Ensemble Studio Theatre’s production of “Smart” by Mary Elizabeth Hamilton (photo by Carol Rosegg).

This past weekend, I caught up with Ensemble Studio Theatre’s latest offering, Smart by Mary Elizabeth Hamilton. The work is the newest installment in the Off-Broadway theater company’s niche series exploring technology’s influence on the human experience (the project was established by EST in conjunction with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation). In Smart, Ms. Hamilton examines the pros and cons of “smart speaker” devices — namely, weighing the loss of privacy that comes with surveillance against real benefits of such A.I. technology, particularly pertaining to those with special needs.

It’s a fascinating trade-off that’s only partially successfully fleshed out in the fictional world created by Ms. Hamilton. Although the play and production go to lengths to establish realism, the central relationships and motivations that underly the play don’t quite ring true. Unlike the previous entry in EST and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s technology series — Sam Chanse’s provocative what you are now — the plot is driven by contrived circumstances that seem designed to inject drama into the work’s investigatory mandate (no spoilers here). Smart is at its most compelling when exploring its secondary themes, especially its depiction of loneliness, something that many of us had to recently struggle through.

The production has been directed by Matt Dickson, whose attention to detail works well with the play’s goals. EST productions have typically done an excellent job of working with the company’s intimate but unwieldy second floor space, and Dickson’s staging does the same (kudos particularly to the resourceful but effective “overlapping” set design by Ant Ma). He’s also elicited some thoughtful performances from his trio of actresses. Particularly affecting is Christine Farrell’s portrayal of an older woman contending with her waning mental capacity.

RECOMMENDED

SMART
Off-Broadway, Play
Ensemble Studio Theatre
1 hour, 40 minutes (with one intermission)
Through April 23

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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