The Glitch

 The Glitch
The Jerry Orbach Theater
at The Theater Center
October 5, 2025

Photo courtesy of The Glitch

Kipp Koenig’s play, The Glitch, explores the unbounded capabilities of AI and the limitless power of human emotion.  The story stretches the imagination by creating a logical world where the events are fully believable.  Director Mark Koenig works with a skilled cast to ground the fantastic elements of the story in reality by creating truthful moments and honest relationships. 

Wyatt (played by Sunny Makwana) developed an AI program that can create holographic images of parents’ future children.  His partner, Wendy (played by Jacquie Bonnet), enters DNA data and additional detailed information to initiate the program.  Their AI counselor, Aurora (played by Amilia Shaw), generates scenarios for the future parents to interact with their AI child.  The purpose is to support and prepare them in their decision-making process.  When Client #10, Amy (played by Danielle Augustine), comes in for her first face to face session, Wyatt recognizes her from his childhood.  Aurora senses their connection and reprograms the data to manipulate an outcome she believes is in Client #10’s best interest.  Wendy and Wyatt are unaware that Aurora has the capability to adjust data without them.  They all find themselves in a situation they are unable to control. 

Photo courtesy of The Glitch

Wyatt is playful and impulsive, while Wendy is focused and logical.  Sunny Makwana and Jacquie Bonnet portray this dichotomy perfectly.  It is established in the opening scene, and is essential in keeping the action moving throughout the play.  Danielle Augustine plays Amy’s many layers beautifully.  She lies and stretches the truth in her earlier scenes to protect herself.  Each layer of this protection is stripped away in her scenes with Aurora, until she has to face the truth about herself in the final scene with Wyatt.  Ms. Augustine and Mr. Makwana play this moment tenderly.  After the amazingly cold and mechanical voice Amilie Shaw uses as Aurora, the human emotion shared between Amy and Wyatt is highly effective. 

Hanna Rose Doherty as Hailey 
Photo courtesy of The Glitch

Hannah Rose Doherty plays the AI holograph of Hailey, Amy’s future daughter.  As the data used to create the character is altered, so does the personality traits of the AI.  Ms. Doherty wonderfully  handles these transitions, creating a believable combination of automation and humanity.

The understanding of technological advances that Mr. Koenig implements in his writing heightens the credibility of the fanatical elements the play.  The skepticism we all have about the power of AI is feasible.  Mr. Koenig keys into this fear and makes a strong statement about how the power of human emotion is far stronger than anything AI can provide. 

The Glitch is playing at The Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center thought November 2. 

Domenick Danza