PicksInSix Review: Sisters - Writers Theatre
‘Sisters’ Story Has Bugs, Still Connects.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan
Artificial Intelligence has been around for at least 70 years, but pop culture has been obsessed with it for millennia (See: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” circa 150 AD). From the friendly, protective robot of “Lost in Space” to the husband-worshipping femmebots of “The Stepford Wives” to the synthetic companions of “Ex Machina,” “M3GAN,” AI is a Pandora’s Box of limitless, fascinating mutations. Its place in storytelling is as vast as the data it collects.
Matthew Libby’s “Sisters,” running through November 8 at Glencoe’s Writers Theatre, depicts in harrowing terms the human cost that AI can exact on those who rely on it heavily for companionship. Directed by Jessica Thebus, “Sisters” is punctuated by intensely powerful moments that will leave your brain in a twist, grappling with Gordian Knot of moral complexities involved with creating eerily sentient-like life. AI could make Victor Frankensteins of us all.
Libby’s drama focuses on the human Matilda (Brenda Barrie) and Greta (Chloe Johnston), her AI “sister” who lives in a computer. There are flaws here, but Libby has a knack for distilling the essence of being human with rather brutal accuracy. Humans, notes Greta, infinitely complex souls who spend their lives trapped in decaying bodies while desperately seeking transcendence. No lies detected.
Greta’s own transcendence is a bit of a deux ex machina—something that seems to happen due to random magic because the plot demands it rather than earns it. The other issue is that “Sisters” slightly drags in its final third. Matilda is the only character on stage, which makes some of Greta’s dialogue-heavy passages less than fully engaging. Barrie covers 90 years in Matilda’s life (six to 96) with impressive effectiveness. Adults playing six-year-olds can be squeaky and weird, but there’s no such problem with Barrie, who is consistently believable and relatable as she moves from traumatized child to nonagenarian, Greta (mostly) by her side. Johnston has an arguably even more difficult assignment: Playing invisible software.
Yet Johnston makes Greta unnerving and mind-warpingly understandable. The synth’s desire to “take up space” in her world, her fear of being recoded or “wiped”—aka annihilated— will resonate with any human who has ever felt invisible or been bedevilled with fears of death or dementia.
“Sisters” movingly explores the impact of loneliness in humans, and Barrie brings it to wrenching life. Greta is nothing but coding and circuitry, but her impact on Matilda’s life is massive, ultimately directing everything from Matilda’s career choice to her bank balance. The emotional cost is more profound yet. Among the most harrowing scenes arrives as Barry howls into an existential abyss, overwhelmed by the losses she’s endured and the choices she’s made. It’s a scene that’ll embed itself in your mind and make you seriously reflect on the long-term psychological effects of making a chatbot your closest confidante.
“Sisters” is provocative and intriguing. But while the two-person cast is excellent, the play itself needs tightening. The technology in the story it tells might be sci-fi. The story “Sisters” spins is one we humans have been grappling with since time immemorial.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | CATEY SULLIVAN has been covering Chicago theater for more than 30 years. Her work has been published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, Windy City Times, Playbill, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune and New City, among others. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Illinois.
PHOTO | Hugo Hentoff
Writers Theatre
presents
Sisters
The Gillian Theatre
325 Tudor Court
Glencoe, IL
WEBSITE
TICKETS
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
PicksInSix® is a registered trademark of Roxbury Road Creative, LLC