Incognito
Manhattan Theatre Club
New York City Center Stage I
May 8, 2016
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| Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club |
How
does the brain’s ability to store and retrieve long term memory affect
relationships? Without memory, does a
person have an identity? Can post-mortem
study of the brain unlock patterns of thought and scope of intelligence? These are a few of the questions brought to
the surface in Nick Payne’s play, Incognito,
presently in previews at Manhattan Theatre Club. It is an engaging and captivating compilation
of fact and fiction that delves into the mysteries and science of memory and
brain function.
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| Geneva Carr, Morgan Spector, Heather Lind, & Charlie Cox Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club |
Four
actors play twenty roles during the course of the play. Some characters are developed from true
stories and actual events. Henry Maison
(played by Charlie Cox) undergoes a procedure that destroys the portion of his
brain associated with memory. This
leaves him with a long term memory span of about three minutes. After the death of Albert Einstein, Dr.
Thomas Harvey (played by Morgan Spector) removes his brain during the autopsy
and keeps it, without consent, for research.
When psychologist Brenda Walsh (played by Geneva Carr) begins dating
Patricia Thorn (played by Heather Lind), she leaves out facts about her past
that are essential in building trust and comradery. These three story lines, among others, run
parallel and sometimes overlap, to dramatize the correlation between the
brain’s ability to successfully store and retrieve information and the
development of personality, intelligence, and relationship.
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| Playwright Nick Payne Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club |
Each
actor transforms in seconds from one character to the next with detailed
command of gesture, posture, and vocal intonation, thus creating complete,
realistic characters. The audience
instantaneously recognizes which character is being portrayed, and effortlessly
connects the previous action of the simultaneous plot lines. Director Doug Hughes keeps the action flowing
continuously, stimulating the audience to stay focused on each moment. It is this fluidity that makes the retention
of the particulars of each individual plot line uncomplicated. While layered with scientific fact and
psychological theory, Mr. Payne’s script is remarkably poetic. The final moment of the play is awe-inspiring. It celebrates the mystery and magnitude in
the power of the brain to connect bites of information with deep, emotional
meaning.
The
Manhattan Theatre Club production of Incognito
opens on May 24 at New York City Center Stage I. Don’t miss it! It will amplify your understanding of how
memory connects with identity. It will
broaden your appreciation of the science that explains our every moment.
Domenick Danza
