Review: WET's Creepy Techno-thriller THE NETHER

As the folks at Washington Ensemble Theatre point out over and over in the lobby and in the press info of their latest offering, Jennifer Haley's "The Nether", the show is filled with trigger warnings and not for the faint of heart. With strobe lights and elements of violence and sexual assault of children at the forefront of the story, some may not be able to handle the play. Even I, who usually scoffs at any kind of trigger warning with a haughty derision that reads, "I can handle whatever you want to throw at me", found myself squirming in my seat and had occasion to want to stand and yell, "oh, don't do that!" (I did not.) But if you can get past the ick-factor what you have is a well-crafted thriller with a futuristic bent that will keep you guessing.

Reminiscent of ethical conundrums posed by TV shows like "Black Mirror" or "Westworld", "The Nether" invites you into a not too distant future where virtual reality has gotten so advanced as to seem perfectly real. Within this new VR world dubbed The Nether, people can do any number of extraordinary things that they wouldn't be able to do offline. But, as is always the case with new technology, some have found ways to abuse it and have created pocket realms where others can come and safely act out their darkest fantasies. One such realm is the The Hideaway where a man known as Papa (James Weidman) allows people to come and act out their perversions on virtual children such as the accommodating Iris (Gabriella O'Fallon). Nether Detective Morris (Pilar O'Connell) is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on in the Hideaway and has sent in an undercover agent Woodnut (Kevin Kelly) to investigate but he too finds himself getting drawn into the world.

I'll admit I was terrified of what I was about to get myself into when I saw that this was written by Haley who also wrote "Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom", a play I saw last year which was a string of nonsense culminating in frustration. However, this is a much tauter and deftly handled piece that reminded me of "The Pillowman" which is not a bad thing to be compared to, with its multi-layered complex story. "The Nether" may not be as complex but Haley does bring in some wonderful twists and surprises as it peels back its story bit by bit. Director Bobbin Ramsey keeps the pace and tension high even amidst the many scene changes which they handled beautifully on Tristan Roberson's fantastically ethereal light up set.

The ensemble is quite tight and all inhabit the same near-future world well. Weidman shows a wonderful authority while displaying little remorse for his actions since in his mind it's all just data. O'Connell handles the interrogations commandingly only letting those few chinks in her armor show through as needed. O'Fallon manages a detached sweetness to the little girl Iris making what happens to her all the more uncomfortable for the audience and for Kelly as he begrudgingly falls down the rabbit hole of this world. And Steven Sterne as Doyle, another patron of The Hideaway, brings in a wonderful everyman showing how he could be seduced into the life.

Personally, I'm all for this type of thriller that shows us, as a society, about 5-minutes from this level of technological quandary. These are the questions we're going to have to ask as our technology gets more sophisticated and this play asks it well and in an entertaining, if not squirm inducing, way. And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give Washington Ensemble Theatre's "The Nether" a squirming in my seat YAY. Here's hoping when we do get there we can use the tech a little more responsibly.

"The Nether" from Washington Ensemble Theatre performs at 12th Avenue Arts through May 14th. For tickets or information visit them online (but not in The Nether) at www.washingtonensemble.org.