Christopher Donahue and Rae Gray star in Job at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. Credit: Hugo Hentof
Job, now playing at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, has so many themes they are nearly impossible to count: the positive and negative effects of technology, the inherent dangers of the internet, the folly of youth, abortion, the tragedy of capitalism, gaslighting, the ubiquitous nature of the cell phone, and many others.
Some of these ideas are fleshed out; others are only hinted at in this short, 85-minute, no-intermission play. But the two actors — Jane (Rae Gray) and Loyd (Christopher Donahue) — leave almost no subject untouched in a drama that forces the audience to constantly search for level ground amid quickly shifting storylines.
The audience’s attention is captured even before the actors take the stage. The set is minimalist, done in the “alley” or traverse style, in which audience members face each other with a long, narrow stage between them. This configuration concentrates attention and engagement while heightening the emotional connection between actors and audience — lending itself to the feeling that viewers are actually part of the show.
Because of the small, intimate space, there is nowhere for our eyes to rest except on the two protagonists directly in front of us. And if that isn’t enough, the gun Jane wields in the opening moments certainly helps us laser-focus on what is unfolding.
The backstory: Jane suffered a mental breakdown at the tech company where she works, a moment captured on video and broadcast across the web, going viral. The consequences are disastrous. Jane becomes an unwitting celebrity and is suspended from her job due to her loss of control and the damage to the company’s reputation. She can only return to work if cleared by a psychiatrist — and the play opens with Jane pointing her gun at her therapist.
Just as it is never clear whether technology is a boon or a bane in this work, it is never clear whether much of what Jane sees and says in the psychiatrist’s office is real or hallucinatory.
Her job as a “tech bro” is to seek out illicit and obscene videos on the internet. She sees herself as a Joan of Arc — a savior of mankind — working tirelessly to protect others from the horrific content lurking online. Does the nature of her work distort reality, or is she reacting in real time to the depravity she witnesses daily? As if that question isn’t dark enough, another looms: Is her therapist everything he seems to be? Is he a manifestation of her imagination, or is he truly the malignant force she fears?
It is left to the audience to decide whether Jane and Loyd are who they believe and portray themselves to be, or whether hidden layers lie beneath the surface — and what price must be paid for the truth.
A two-person play in a small space is highly dependent on dialogue and facial expressions to keep the audience riveted. Playwright Max Wolf Friedlich does not fail at the task. The gun, almost a third character, adds an immediate sense of danger. The conversation between Jane and Loyd never falters; its rapid-fire nature and multifaceted dimensions demand attention to every sentence and every nuance.
Christopher Donahue and Rae Gray in Job at Writers Theatre in Glencoe Credit: Hugo Hentof
In what appears to be a Herculean task, Christopher Donahue and Rae Gray carry the play on their backs, holding themselves to the highest standards as they embody the emotionally struggling Jane and the possibly psychopathic Loyd. What could be more menacing than a gifted therapist hiding his darkest tendencies — except perhaps a crusading tech worker who may be far more delusional than we have been led to believe?
The actors are superlative and work together seamlessly, building an unsettling world in our imagination — unsettling enough to make us queasy before all is said and done.
Director David Esbjornson gives the actors the freedom to work within the tight space that constrains them, his touch light but commanding.
At one point, Jane explains that her phone “is never the problem” — people are the problem. If this idea, or any of the other myriad topics introduced in Job, intrigues you, this show will take you to places you can’t imagine.
Job is playing through June 14. Writers Theatre in the Gillian Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. Tickets $50 and up. For tickets and more information, call 847-242-6000 or visit writerstheatre.org.
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