“Click” brings a futuristic take to the #metoo movement at The Vortex
By Guinevere Govea
Technology, the #metoo movement, and a whole lot of the phrase “hey, boo,” come to life onstage in Jacqueline Goldfinger’s play “Click” at The Vortex Theatre in Austin.
Directed by Rudy Ramirez, this heartbreaking, innovative and relevant play is sure to keep you engaged throughout all 90 minutes.
“Click” follows the life of Elizabeth, a young woman raped at a fraternity, and Chaz, the man that ruined her life by publishing a video of the act to social media. The modernist thriller play takes place in a fast-paced future where anything and everything can happen — criminals can get new bodies, the dead can come back to life online, and protagonist Elizabeth can get online vengeance from the man that took her life away. After faking her own death, Elizabeth reclaims her life by becoming a virtual Banksy of sorts that succeeds through turning industrial espionage into art.
Goldfinger addresses tough subjects surrounding the #metoo movement in “Click,” but also manages to add bits of tasteful humor throughout the show, delivered with ease through quips by Tessandra Lancaster, who plays Elizabeth’s best friend.
The audience laughs, cries and suffers through all of the emotional pain Elizabeth goes through over the course of several years, long after her life changed with the click of a button at the frat party.
Hayley J. Armstrong gives an equally heart-wrenching and powerful performance as Elizabeth, portraying the pain, anger and frustration of her character so well that you could hear a pin drop during her monologues.
Other standout performances include that of the hilarious Kacey Samiee, who plays Anna Carlyle, the CEO of a company that produces the ever-changing technology present in “Click,” and Will Gibson Douglas, who plays Chaz with painful honesty.
“Click” makes excellent use of lighting design, stage movement and scenery in ways that make audiences feel as if they really are in the future. Actors interact with set projections and seem to manipulate the images with the swipe of a finger. Costumes reflect the futuristic tone of the show and grow with intensity of color and assuredness as characters grow into themselves. Sound and lighting compliment both the actors and Goldfinger’s story, creating dark moods, peaceful sunrises and intense scenes.
Although this play is described as a thriller, it does not have all of the bells and whistles that you might see in a commercial movie thriller, like car chase scenes or suspenseful music.
In the place of intense scenes, “Click” uses poetic monologues and choreographed movement to illustrate concepts like planning revenge and hopping between time frames. So, if metaphorical dances that represent the passage of time are not your kind of thing, you might want to stick to more commercialized thriller plays, like “The Woman in Black.”
This being said, “Click” is an overall enjoyable experience for those open to the more ‘artsy’ and poetic side of live theater. For those open to seeing unique new work about feminism, the #metoo movement and technological advancement, watching “Click” is a good way to spend an evening.
It will leave you saying “hey, boo” long after the curtain closes.
4.5 stars
“CLICK”
When: January 17-February 8 at 8pm
Where: The VORTEX. 2307 Manor Rd #2135
Cost: $15-$225
Information: http://vortexrep.org/32_click
