Call it a glimpse into the chipper dystopian. After all, there are danceable beats, bubble-gum and neon hues and scads of youthful quirks in ‘ production of the futurist tale “Jon.”
But make no mistake, the 2-year-old Boulder troupe is serving up disquieting news from the near future at the
has done a very sharp job adapting George Saunders’ short story for the stage. Published in , the tale finds the teen of the title (played here by Ryan Wuestewald) recounting his experiences as an assessor. Jon and fellow 17-year-olds Carolyn, Josh, Ruth, Brad and Kimberly live in what might be deemed a corporate commune, a kind of summer camp without end. There they rate various consumer products.
One can easily imagine the kids from “Glee” in the roles of assessors, product-testing all manner of goods: energy drinks, clothing, even political candidates. When these teens want to speak of their feelings, they nearly always call on a memory of a commercial. They get a trance-like look on their faces as they re-watch an ad — or, as they refer to them, an LI or “location indicator.”
But as Jon says at the opening, there are gonads to heed. Teens meet hormones. At night, each kid repairs to his or her “privacy tarp,” a white, narrow tent that allows for “self-pleasure.” But rules are broken. Baby Amber is born to Josh (Joe Von Bokern) and Ruth (Miriam Tobin) after a night of rustling and moaning. It’s definitely a case of kids having kids.
Soon Jon and Carolyn (Sonia Justl) are in a family way, too.
One of the nice things about “Jon” is that it doesn’t try to sell us evil. Banal will be quite unsettling enough, thank you.
The three coordinators in their lab coats aren’t a particularly menacing bunch as they walk the floor with clipboards.
Dove (Verl Hite) wants to keep the relationships with the kids strictly professional, even though it’s obvious that the youngsters live 24/7 under their care. Slippen is another matter; Jason Maxwell portrays the kindly coordinator who’s more big bro than Big Brother, more sympathetic dad than paternalist.
A tragedy strikes that has a deep effect on Carolyn and spins Jon’s account in darker directions. Playwright Bockley stays true to Saunders’ moral tang in the translation from page to stage. This riff on the over-mediated future isn’t merely satirical. There is also pain. Of course, when faced with discomfort, the young assessors are encouraged to “hook into” an Aurabon. The very name suggests a kind of engineered bliss.
As Jon, Wuestewald bares the play’s many complex moods. He’s up to the task. Last fall, he portrayed a high schooler full of ache, questions and a kind of infuriating teenage ” Here, his voice crackles with a mix of being aware but also overwhelmed.
Catamounts director Amanda Berg Wilson keeps things zipping and off-kilter. There’s comedy in this strange, newish world. It doesn’t mitigate the pain, but it does make for an often vibrant outing.
Like we said, “Chipper Dystopian.”
Lisa Kennedy: 303-954-1567, lkennedy@denverpost.com or twitter.com/bylisakennedy
“JON.” Directed by Amanda Berg Wilson. Adapted by Seth Bockley. Based on a short story by George Saunders. Featuring Ryan Wuestewald, Sonia Justl, Jason Maxwell, Joe Von Bokern and Miriam Tobin. Through March 16 at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Tickets, $15-$18, via thedairy.org or 303-444-7238.
