On Saturday February 25, I saw The Nether, a show that the Studio Theater put on. I saw it alone as I did not know anyone that took an interest in seeing it. While there are things that I would change, I found the play enticing and very alluring with its dark, creepy atmosphere and its crafty storytelling.
The Nether is a virtual wonderland that provides total sensory immersion. Users simply log in, choose an identity and entertain themselves in any way possible. It seems like a flawless entertainment system, however, when a young detective uncovers a disturbing brand inside the Nether, she triggers an interrogation that sets off deep revelations.
For a student play, they did a fine job creating the atmosphere, showing that the play is not all cheerful as it the play makes it out to be. Director Linda Chambers made the play very elusive, which was the right move as there is no other way they could a story about sex crimes in a virtual world. They keep the viewer interested, albeit the scenes are rather short and very straightforward.
The cast embodied their characters well so that the audience believes them. The performances that the actors give exemplify the theme of secrecy, or how we have secrets that we don’t want others to know. Matthew Van Nostrand-Young embodied his character so that you could feel his secret that he was a young girl in the Nether. He clearly conveyed that fear in his character that told the audience that he didn’t want even the interrogator, Detective Morris, didn’t want to know even if it meant bringing a sexual offender to justice. His performance did not miss the mark on anything.
Now as I said earlier, there are one or two things that I would have changed as the director. For one thing, the soundtrack that they used to transition between scenes was too recognizable and did not sync that well with the play’s tone and the dark moody theme.
One thing major disappointment in Chambers’ direction is the hesitance to use the interrogation mirror. She could have directed the cast so that their reflections are always within the mirror to demonstrate the fragmentation of the characters. If the director does not plan to use a decoration of the set, then there was little to no point for the presence of the mirror. Chambers could have just filled that will mirror with gray bricks to further demonstrate the grim atmosphere of the interrogations.
In short, while there are a few elements that could be changed in the Studio Theater’s production of The Nether, it was alluring and captivating enough to warrant a must-see. Hopefully, this play has en