April 23, 2008 By Hoyt Hilsman Playwright Nic Cha Kim's post-modern reworking of the Frankenstein tale -- in this case, an artificial-intelligence program that comes to life -- has a few compelling moments and a few genuine laughs, but it fails to rise above the familiar and clichéd. Peter (Lanny Joon), a poet and technical writer, is recruited by an A.I. company, founded by Dr. Atruda (Alberto Isaac), that has spent $100 million to create a new program called AIMEE (voice by Stephanie Lincoln) in competition for a prestigious prize. Peter's task, as explained to him by his new co-workers Missy (Elaine Kao) and Larry (Charles Kim) is to enhance the AIMEE program by putting the art into artificial intelligence. Another collaborator, Boris (Leonard Wu), in an odd twist, is being held in a prison thousands of miles away, where he is regularly tortured by guards between teleconferences with the home office. Peter's job starts well enough but soon turns sour, as AIMEE falls in love with him and becomes increasingly possessive. This does not sit well with Peter's girlfriend, Amy (Julia Cho), who discovers that she is pregnant and has to have an abortion. Before long, the AIMEE program goes haywire and threatens to destroy them all. Needless to say, the play is a jumble of standard science-fiction plot lines. The aim seems to be a blend of comedy and drama, but the play falls short on both counts. The occasionally didactic message about technology, the role of art, and the soulless machine are likewise predictable and pat. Joon gives a solid performance as the hapless Peter, and Isaac and Kim are often funny in their outsized roles. Wu is quite good as the tortured prisoner, reacting mostly to the video camera but still conveying strong reactions and humor. And Lincoln, as the voice of AIMEE, provides humorous moments in her deadpan responses to her programmers' questions. Director Chil Kong, while shepherding the actors through multiple scenes and scene changes, does little to rescue the script from its clunkiness. Presented by Lodestone Theatre Ensemble at GTC Burbank, 1111-B W. Olive Ave., Burbank. Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Apr. 19-May 25. (323) 993-7245. www.lodestonetheatre.org. | ||||||||||||||||||
