Amid a dizzying barrage of banter and tech talk — no doubt familiar to the techies in the audience but confusing, maybe even off-putting to (ahem) others — the plot of local writer Patricia Milton’s new satire “The Engine of Our Disruption” presented by Central Works begins, slowly, to emerge.
Kamiri (Chelsea Bearce) is on her way to interview for a new job at Bubble (think Google). She’s been unemployed for several years, having been a whistle-blower at Uber, but nevertheless, CEO Xtopher is eager to hire her. Yet what exactly is this new position? She’s not certain. She’s all about ethics, but is that what she’s being hired for?
Nor is she sure why bad-boy Xtopher, whom she ghosted years ago (we find out why later) and who is now the CEO of Bubble, wants to hire her, especially since he claims she broke his heart.
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Her mother (Jan Zvaifler), with whom she lives, is a clueless and daffy Republican politician who affectionately calls Kamiri “Pookie Pie.” She is hoping to be re-elected to the Senate. But, as it turns out, she’s in bed, metaphorically speaking, with the slippery Xtopher, who is hoping to get legislation passed that will free companies like Bubble to develop new projects — such as invasive artificial intelligence — with no oversight whatsoever.
Xtopher, it turns out, is a slimy double-talker (but hearty and cheery, as played by Mike Tuton).
Also in the mix is Xtopher’s close associate, the cynical developer Chip (an implacable and smirky Louel Senores).
Playwright Milton invents some pretty horrifying ways in which tech companies can invade our privacy in their efforts to invent newer and better AI, and she has great fun satirizing tech culture along the way. For example, one of Bubble’s core values is to “have fun”; to that end, the workspace offers psilocybin and a climbing wall. “Trust is a must,” Xtopher says, but “Ethics is a story we tell ourselves.”
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Although the show’s first act is amusing, it’s also overwhelming, especially since Kamiri’s hostility is so relentless as to be exhausting (as her mother says, she’s “just a teeny bit self-righteous”), and Xtopher’s apparent manipulations are equally loud and intense. Otherwise, under Gary Graves’ brisk direction, the actors are fine.
It’s not until the second act that the story begins to coalesce. There’s still plenty of high-velocity arguing and tech talk (ever heard of the Hutchison’s Equation?), but the tension is rising — now, things actually happen.
Will Bubble ultimately be forced to incorporate ethics into its agenda, or not? Will mother and daughter finally see eye to eye? Will feisty Kamiri triumph over villainous Xtopher? And what’s up with Chip?
Though Milton crams too much dialogue into the mix, the show makes for an energetic and entertaining two hours. Central Works’ admirable mission is to develop new plays; Milton is a regular here. This world premiere is the company’s 72nd.
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Central Works’ “The Engine of Our Disruption” continues through Nov. 12 at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. Tickets are $35-$40 or pay-what-you-can on Thursdays. Visit centralworks.org.
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