[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Itamar Moses’s Completeness directed by Angela. M. Bruning at Los Angeles’ Eastwood Performing Arts Center.
Completeness is a play about the science of love. Elliot, a computer scientist and Molly a biology scientist fall in love. Of course they overanalyze each other. Who doesn’t? But when your mind is used to compare, contrast, validate and back up your evidence with pier review, that can lead to some pretty unique complications of the heart. Molly and Elliot are grad students at an undisclosed university. They meet in a computer lab late one night, Eliot is about to leave but then Molly arrives and he decides to stay. She’s cute and he’s noticed her before on campus but he’s already seeing someone from his class…so more complications. Universities are a microcosm of our world. A petri dish of hormones and fear. Mix that with fierce ambition, late, late nights, intense competition and the frailties of youth and you have, well, the magic of campus life.
Molly has a problem. The evidence in her experiments on the proteins in fungi are taking an age to go through and she needs to simplify. Elliot is developing an algorithm to answer basically every question ever asked, but on the side he thinks he can help her calculate her results with another specifically designed algorithm just for her. It’s the perfect ‘in’ for him and how can Molly say no to exactly what she needs?
If you’ve seen the opening scene from Social Network and love it, or anything Sorkin has ever written then Completeness is right up your alley. Fast paced, searingly scientifically accurate, heavily nuanced cerebral speak between two adorable, high-functioning twenty-somethings. The caveat is, the ‘love’ feels like as much of an experiment to them as their actual work. It all looks great on paper, but somehow something is missing. Is it trust? Is it timing? Are they overstimulated and therefore redirecting their excitement? As the play progresses we see just how algorithmic their relationship becomes. Even to the point where they must compare and contrast the evidence of their attraction with each other by bedding other people, to accurately conclude their findings.
The funny thing is that none of this feels like too much. Maybe I have an overly analytical mind. I certainly analyze…a lot. But I don’t think it’s just a female thing. I think that by the time you’ve been in love a few times, or think you have, you get more specific about what you need. You want less mess. More results. I wish I had my own private algorithm…
Completeness is a brilliant brilliant play. The actors whizz through this gorgeous funny and painfully real dialogue with lighting speed but also with phenomenal care. You don’t miss a syllable. Which is important because there are an awful lot of words…
But what could feel terse and affected is actually gentle and heartfelt. It’s like watching two robots fall in love in a way, but cute robots, like Walle and EV. The two leads, Sarah Sawyer and Dennis Mashevsky, are utterly sublime. They flirt and flit around each other like nervous drones. Desperate to connect but always with an eye on the door. They are intense yet warm. The attraction is cerebral but the sex is hot…we don’t see the sex, but it’s a very present part of the play in a youthful, urgent, innocent way.
The supporting cast is also brilliant, Rachel Zapata and Ron Laskowski play spurned lovers of the two with wonderful comic timing and awkward realness. It’s brutal and very funny.
I loved this play and these fine fine actors do an excellent job on bringing it to life. I also loved the set. The stage at Eastwood Performing Arts Center is deep and wide. It offers ample space for movement and works absolutely perfectly for this play. No changes, no fuss! Brilliant!
The play runs through September 28 and I insist that you go on line and buy your tickets!!!!! Plays this good should not be missed!!
Tickets:
https://eastwoodpac.stagey.net/projects/11116?tab=tickets
Where:
Eastwood Performing Arts Center
1089 Oxford Ave, Los Angeles, California
When:
September 20-28
Friday, September 20, at 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 21, at 8:00 PM
Sunday, September 22, at 2:00 PM
Thursday, September 26, at 8:00 PM
Friday, September 27, at 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 28, at 8:00 PM
The Team
Producer/Elliot – Dennis Mashevsky
Molly – Sarah Sawyer
Lauren/Nell – Rachel Zapata
Don/Franklin – Ron Laskowski
Stage Manager: Fiona Farris
Set Design 1: Lana Dvorak
Set Design 2: Anj Sheen
Costume Design: Scarlett Dyer
Lighting Design: Jacob Nguyen
Sound Design: Javier Busquet
Intimacy Director: Emilia Ray
Publicist: SANDRA KUKER PR (Sandra Kuker-Franco)
Photography: H. R. Kean
Poster and Web Design: Todd Smailes