Review: WALDEN (REMIX) at Mary Moody Northen Theatre

In Walden (remix), the moon becomes a stage for Earth’s most pressing dilemmas: environmental collapse, corporate overreach, and the fragile balance between technological progress and human connection. Written and directed by KJ Sanchez and presented at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre, this futuristic drama centers on a lone teenage girl while casting its gravitational pull on the generational tensions and moral reckonings unfolding on Earth.

Eighteen-year-old H (portrayed with stoic authenticity by Marie Ritchie), stationed at a sterile lunar outpost, has been sent to harvest a potent energy source capable of reversing Earth’s ecological crisis. Her only companion is Larry Bird (Erick Aguilar), an AI assistant that grows increasingly autonomous—and unsettling. Yet the true conflict is not mechanical but relational. Through fragmented communications with Earth, H remains tethered to a web of memories, wounds, and friendships.

Most poignant is H’s strained relationship with her sister Lucy (Indigo Lane, who plays the role with raw emotion). Their dialogue, flickering across the vastness of space, unveils the emotional toll of H’s departure from their deeply religious, anti-science parents. 

H’s closest Earthbound connections are her three friends, each reflecting a generation coming of age amid chaos. Marshall (guest artist Chandler Collins), buoyant and gritty, dreams of NYU’s acting program but is hindered by financial limitations. Collins delivers much of the play’s social commentary—on race, inequality, and the struggle to thrive as an artist in America. Alex (Xander Bauder), introverted and adrift, embodies a paralysis of purpose in a world without clear paths forward. Emily (Gabrielle North), bold and uncompromising, demands space and respect in a society slow to grant either. Together, these friends form H’s moral and emotional compass, offering humor, fire, and grounding.

Hovering above the action is Tori Petrosino’s Narrator—less a character than a conscience. She bridges the emotional and philosophical space between H’s lunar isolation and our own earthly anxieties.

Visually, the production is stark and evocative. Scenic designer Theada Haining constructs a cold, isolating lunar habitat, while Megan Reilly’s lighting and media design inject pockets of warmth into the sterile surroundings. K. Eliot Haynes’ sound design hums with mechanical tension, and the contrast between grounded realism and cosmic emptiness is enhanced by Avalon McPhail’s costumes and Miguel De Hoyos’s props.

One of the play’s more acute critiques is aimed at corporate greed. In this imagined future, NASA has handed over its lunar program to SpaceX, a profit-driven reminder of how quickly public good is handed over to private interests. Is that too far-fetched? The playwright challenges us to think again—and judging by the Thursday night audience, we’re ready to do just that.

Where the play falters is in its depiction of older generations, often cast as antagonists—religious zealots, science deniers, or emotionally absent figures. H faces criticism for being too young to lead, despite her genius, mirroring real-world gatekeeping. By portraying adults solely as obstacles, the play oversimplifies a complex reality. While the play is right to champion the passion and empathy of young people, it leans too heavily on generational blame. Not all elders are enemies—many are mentors and allies. The lack of nuance here weakens the story’s moral clarity.

Walden (remix) raises timely questions: How do we preserve humanity in a world ruled by profit and automation? Can the new generation fix the mess they’ve inherited? And how do we move forward without discarding the wisdom of those who came before?

The play is ambitious—perhaps overly so. It tackles a dizzying array of issues: climate change, corporate exploitation, religious dogma, science denial, body shaming, racism, economic inequality, and the marginalization of youth. While each is important, their sheer number prevents any from being explored in real depth. Many land as obligatory references rather than organic threads woven into the story’s core.

The script aims high but doesn’t always land softly. Still, the young cast of St. Edward’s delivers grounded, honest performances that make Walden (remix) a compelling lunar lament—and a call to build bridges not just between planets but between generations.

Thursday night was Senior’s Night at St. Edwards, so to all of those students graduating this year: Congratulations! Don’t forget your humble beginnings, and come back to entertain us with your talent soon! 

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