Tag Archives: Kathleen R. Delaney

Theatre Review: The Ghee Ghee Pik

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The Group Rep presents the World Premiere of The Ghee Ghee Pik. Written by Suzy London. Directed by Kathleen R. Delaney. Produced for The Group Rep by Lloyd Pedersen and Sam Logan.

Can artificial intelligence enhance human brains? Playwright Suzy London creates a fictionalized dystopian scenario where neuronal implantation effects go beyond the medical applications. Although the play is fiction, it is based on a true story; one that exposes the tremendous medical benefits of neurotechnology, but also the negative consequences both legal and ethical if the business side collapses.

Margaret Kelly (Mandy Fason) suffers seizures that affect her functionality. She agrees to participate in a trial by the upstart NeuroView. The company would provide a brain-computer interface to her doctors—Dr. Kenilworth (Jason Madera) and Dr. Atchison (Stevie Stern)—to implant it in her brain so she can manage her epilepsy and improve her quality of life. The device is implanted and her condition changes radically. Not only are her seizures gone but she also develops other traits that enhance her mental capacities. The implanted device starts to create its own language. Margaret gets so attached to this device that she even gives it a name: Genie.

Margaret feels so empowered by her improved condition that she even changes her name to Pegeen. Another recipient of a similar device is Trevor (Davino Buzzotta), who was involved in a car accident and ended up in a wheelchair and slurred speech. His condition also improves dramatically after the implant; he is now able to walk again and speak clearly.

But not everything is great. Margaret starts to mistreat her mom Barbara (Diana Angelina). Margaret’s attitude also affects her relationship with her husband Joel (Doug Haverty). It seems that Genie has become an entity of its own, influencing and modifying Margaret’s personality.

One interesting detail about the story is that while Margaret experiences effervescent feelings of well-being, Trevor experiences a new-found hypersexuality. Those aspects have occurred in real life with patients, according to Frederic Gilbert, who teaches philosophy at the University of Tasmania.

London and Director Kathleen R. Delaney depict in detail the ethical, philosophical, and legal aspects involved in neurotechnology. For example, what happens when the manufacturer of the device folds? There are intellectual property issues with implanted AI devices to address. To whom do they belong, to the patient or the manufacturer? In the play, NeuroView files for bankruptcy. With the help of attorney Kendrick Gold (Kevin Michael Moran), Margaret and Trevor file a class action lawsuit in an attempt to keep their devices. Otherwise, the devices would be removed from their brains, setting them back to a life of suffering.

From a philosophical standpoint, would implanting AI into humans enhance or deteriorate self-awareness? Some patients in real life have stated that they’re not able to recognize themselves anymore, as if AI made a dramatic change to their identities. In Margaret’s case, her seizures stopped, but her personality changed to the point where she couldn’t relate to her loved ones anymore. She developed such an intense emotional attachment to her device that she couldn’t picture her life without it.

London and Delaney offer a sublime and riveting production that presents the possibilities and the dangers of a nascent technology that can turn into a blessing or a curse, given the still many gray areas to resolve. In one particular scene, an image is projected onto the wall that captures vividly the intensity of the subject matter. With emotional background music, we see the close-up of a face with an expressive eye. Is it wonder or terror?

As far as acting, Fason delivers an intense and moving depiction of the spectrum of emotions involved in such a complex scenario. Her performance is infused with the ecstatic feel of hope and the soul-draining sense of loss. It’s gripping and impactful.

Adding artificial intelligence—with its capacity to learn on its own—to the 86-100 billion neurons and approximately 100 trillion connections that make up a human brain, could mean that we are witnessing not just another wave of innovation, but a new era of human history.

The Ghee Ghee Pik

Lonny Chapman Theatre – Upstairs Stage
10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood 91601

6/13/2024 – 7/14/2024 (check link below for full schedule)

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Written by Suzy London. Directed by Kathleen R. Delaney. Produced for The Group Rep by Lloyd Pedersen and Sam Logan.

Cast: Diana Angelina, Davino Buzzotta, Mandy Fason, Doug Haverty, Cierra Lundy, Jason Madera, Kevin Michael Moran, Helen O’Brien, Stevie Stern, and Cathy Diane Tomlin.

Creative Team: John Ledley (Stage Manager), Mareli Mitchel-Shields (Set Designer), Nick Foran (Lighting Design), Doug Haverty (Graphic Design/Projections), Dan O’Connell (Sound Design & Effects), and Mikaela Padilla (Sound Consultant).

Theatre Review: Could I Have This Dance?

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Could I Have This Dance? is presented by The Group Rep. Written by Doug Haverty. Directed by Kathleen R. Delaney. Produced by Brent Beerman for The Group Rep.

Could I Have This Dance? was developed at The Group Rep and premiered at The Colony in 1991. Since then, it has traveled the world. And now, more than 30 years later, it is produced for the first time at The Group Rep’s stage The Lonny Chapman Theatre.

Monica (Anna Connelly) runs Grapevine, a successful public relations company. She is dating Colin (Andy Shephard), a famous photographer who goes on assignments around the world. Monica’s sister is Amanda (Anica Petrovic), who is dating Errol (Sean Babcock, Motel 66), a much younger man. Monica and Amanda live with their parents Hank (Lloyd Pedersen, Harold and Maude, Morning’s at Seven, Motel 66) and Jeanette (Clara Rodriguez, Harold and Maude, Motel 66). Jeanette has Huntington’s disease, a rare and inherited condition that involves psychiatric, cognitive, and movement disorders (Jeanette has repetitive movements as if dancing).

The rhythm of the play with its tensions and resolutions creates a rich story with characters facing their strengths and insecurities in the face of uncertainty. Monica is a character with a profoundly human bent. She embodies an image of success and self-determination, but one of risk as well. Getting pregnant is like playing Russian roulette, risking the possibility of passing on the gene of Huntington’s disease to a child. However, the human factor is always present. The yearning of motherhood is almost impossible to resist. And risking it all, Monica decides to go all the way.

All of the characters go through a transformative experience, but Monica is perhaps the character that mirrors more closely the dramatic transformation of Jeanette. The diagnosis became a turning point for Jeanette, forcing her to face a whole new reality. For Monica, her biological clock keeps ticking, urging her to take drastic decisions that transform her expectations and commitments.

The script is brilliant and the six actors nail the dialogue and the action. Connelly and Petrovic are excellent, delivering a fascinating bantering between the two sisters and stressing the fears and hopes of a family dealing with a challenging situation. Shephard and Babcock also show their fine performance skills, contributing with their sharp comedic timing, much to the audience’s delight. These four actors are cleverly paired up with Pedersen and Rodriguez, two experienced stage actors that continue to deliver stellar performances on The Group Rep’s productions.

Director Kathleen R. Delaney brings alive the exhilarating rhythm of the play, creating a compelling blend of comedy and drama. Her work with the actors capture the poignancy of Doug Haverty‘s writing in a way that makes the audience get emotionally invested with the characters. And to add more value to this production, the beautiful set resembles the original 1991 staging at The Colony. Also, the costumes are a wayback machine to the 80s. These are details that show the level of commitment of the creative team and offer an attractive production to the audience.

Could I Have This Dance? is an extraordinary play with outstanding performances, a true gem in the theatre scene. It doesn’t fall into the trap of clichéd sentimentalism. Rather, it explores with humor and wit the beauty of human connections and the unbreakable bond of a family dedicated to care for one of their own.

Could I Have This Dance?

The Lonny Chapman Theatre – Main Stage

10900 Burbank Blvd.,

North Hollywood 91601

March 29 – May 5, 2024. Fridays & Saturdays 8pm. Sunday Matinees 2pm.
Sunday Talkbacks with the cast and staff March 31 and April 7, after the matinees.

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Written by Doug Haverty. Directed by Kathleen R. Delaney. Produced by Brent Beerman for The Group Rep.

Cast: Sean Babcock, Anna Connelly, Anica Petrovic, Lloyd Pedersen, Clara Rodriguez, and Andy Shephard.

Creative team: Set Designer Kathi Chaplar, Lighting Designer Frank McKown, Costume Designer Shon LeBlanc, Sound Designer Nick Foran.