[2010038] iexist.com [FringeTIX]
I Must Not Theatre @ Holden Street Theatres – The Studio
6:30pm, Mon 22 Feb 2010
As an obsessive/compulsive gamer during the Fringe off-season, I should have been able to identify with this performance. And, after a solo opening filled with the emulation of an MMORPG session gone horribly wrong (something that I have no direct experience with, and have desperately tried to avoid (MMORPGs, that is)), I was intrigued.
The problem is that the intrigue, for me, didn’t last.
Inspired by the growing legions of teens that are finding their social interactions to be easiest through various cyberspace options, iexist.com aims to portray the relationships between its physically seperated characters through abstract dance and some spoken word. And, whilst some of the form and movement through the sparse (but clever) PVC piping framed set is interesting and evocative, it really failed to engage me – but I can’t put my finger on why.
It’s not like the material was contrived or offensively dumbed down; indeed, it’s quite a compassionate and pragmatic look at the issues affecting these people – their physically disconnected relationships and abstracted communications within these online worlds, addressing the extent to which people open themselves up online… and the dangers in doing so. But, as mentioned above, it just didn’t grab me.
Decent ideas turned into decent content, competently delivered… for no emotional connection. But, for some bizarre reason, I found the Director’s Comments in the programme really interesting. Go figure.