New York Review: “Nothing Human” at the Chain Theater
Featured: Anthony Irizarry, Samantha Simone. Photo by Duncan Pflaster Photography
Max Berry, Contributing Critic - New York City
“Nothing Human” tells two intersecting stories reflecting on humanity and why we do the things we do. The first story centers around a man (Played by Anthony Irizarry) who fled New York after receiving a mysterious call the night before 9/11 telling him not to go into work at the World Trade Center that day. Still reeling from that tragedy and fearing someone might be after him, he spends the next ten years in Boca Raton, Florida with his artificial intelligence, ALBA, trying to uncover the secret to why there is evil in the world. When he meets a woman (Played by Samantha Simone) in a bar ten years after the mysterious phone call, a connection grows between them and they begin to work together on his quest to understand why people do what they do. The second story centers around a group of actors and writers who begin filming a movie in Boca Raton. Hollywood politics and disagreements around casting and story lead to hilarious and heartbreaking results. Both stories take very different approaches to the same core questions: Why are humans the way we are? And why do we do the things we do?
With all of the questions this play asks and the two seemingly unconnected stories, this play really shouldn’t have worked. It very easily could have been confusing and overambitious. However, the two stories are so well written, the questions so relevant and striking, and the acting is all-around fantastic, and I found myself falling in love with it. Tackling various perspectives on what it means to be human, “Nothing Human” asks questions that many are afraid to talk about. In some moments, it even takes on a sort of meta-theatricality, directly addressing issues such as diversity in casting and the unpleasant decisions that can be made when it is not done well. One of the stories being about a group of theatre artists working on a movie set, there are countless jokes and jabs at the theater that purposely strike a few chords.
One of the most incredible scenes is when this group of people goes out to eat at a restaurant. The group gets into a heated discussion about prejudice that I won’t ruin for you, but it is one of the most honest, fearless, and well-executed discussions on the topic that I have seen on stage. Of course, not wanting to leave us all in an unpleasant place, the scene ends with yet another meta-theatrical joke that pokes fun at the very kind of scene that they’re in (that being a scene in a restaurant). Once again, I won’t ruin this joke for you but it was unexpected and quite hilarious.
The main story, centering around Alberto who has fled New York after 9/11 and been hiding out in Boca Raton Florida for the last ten years, takes the more serious approach. Working with the A.I ALBA, he tries to figure out why there is evil in the world. He is joined by a woman he meets in a bar named Amy, who is intrigued by him and eventually the two work together to teach the A.I about humanity in the hopes that she’ll find an answer. The two eventually begin a relationship, the results of which are beautifully portrayed by Irizarry and Simone. We really see these two grow with each other and this growth is easily one of the best parts of the show. Watching Alberto learn more about this person who has clearly suffered a lot and is very lonely as well as watching Amy slowly but surely letting this person in, is extremely moving. You root for these two whenever they are on stage together, even in their arguments you believe that they care so deeply for each other. The first time I heard Amy say that she loved Alberto my heart started racing.
At its core, “Nothing Human” seeks to understand why humans are so messed up. Why do we do terrible things? Using the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and the death of Bin Laden as launching points, the ideas of “why we do the awful things we do” are fresh in our characters’ minds. This renewed freshness is what leads Alberto to confess his secret to Amy. It’s what causes the studio to revise the movie script to cause the group of artists to arrive in Boca Raton. The stakes are as high as they have ever been because those feelings of fear and confusion are still there. All of this leads to the eventual reveal of why these stories are being told side by side and the resulting scenes are impossible to look away from.
There are so many things going on in this play that it would be impossible to mention them all. All I will say, is “Nothing Human” will keep you thinking long after the curtain closes.
“Nothing Human” was written by Duncan Pflaster and directed by Aliza Shane.
It featured Dante Jayce, Samantha Simone, Anthony Irizarry, Adam Patterson, Sarah Kaufman, Shakeerah-Imani, Roberto Alexander, Alexandra Cremer, Amir Royale, Ben Rosen, Nikky Martin.
It featured costume design by Trisha Bastian and projection design by Duncan Pflaster.
It runs at the Chain Theater (312 West 36th St, New York NY 10018 4th Floor) Thursday 10/24 and Saturday 10/26 at 7PM.