McNeal” ( Milwaukee) reviewed by Amy Menzel

**** I long for the days when a reference to AI brought to mind a sick crossover on the basketball court. Of course, few who utter “AI” now are referring to the ’Sixers’ star, Allen Iverson. Now, it’s all about artificial intelligence. I am (perhaps, finally) resigned to the fact that AI technology is here and it’s unlikely I’ll go a day without having to think about it. I am a college instructor of first-year English, after all. You might think that would turn me off to the idea of seeing a play about AI, but I was actually quite looking forward to The Milwaukee Rep’s production of McNeal.

Billed as a play about “art and ambition in the age of AI,” McNeal, Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar’s most recent play, is the first production staged in the newly renovated Herro-Franke Studio Theater. The Rep’s Artistic Director, Mark Clements, takes the helm in an effort to showcase all that the studio space has to offer. It’s a successful endeavor.

A revolving set is used, in tandem with stunning projections and driving musical compositions, to transition between the various scenes of the play. The time it takes to shift between scenes seems purposeful; the break in action is an opportunity for the audience to sit with the challenges the characters face and with the choices the characters make. Each time the lights come back up, a new setting is distinct and vibrant. We’re there – in a doctor’s office, at a publisher’s office, in a park,. The immediacy of the studio space is leveraged by the lighting and stark set design.

All this allows the focus to be on the characters and the action. Peter Bradbury plays Jacob McNeal, a successful novelist who turns to AI while struggling with his next project, his health, and his relationships – it’s all interwoven, of course. Bradbury’s portrayal is strong, and there are glimpses of the rest of the cast rising to match the intensity, yet, collectively, it’s not quite realized on opening night. Each character is equally strong and successful, if not more than the flawed namesake, and it would be satisfying to see more in terms of pushback against McNeal’s excessive pride.

Ambition is at the heart of this contemporary story. The absurdity that sometimes comes with vast ambition is also recognized and explored. That is to say, there are moments of levity, too. McNeal encourages – perhaps requires – us to contemplate it all. What are we doing? Why? To what end? We’re left with these questions.

We need to grapple with the influence, power, and implications of this ever-evolving technology together, in thoughtful and meaningful ways. Thankfully, McNeal is an opportunity to do just that.

★★★★

McNeal plays now through March 22. The show runs approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.

Performances are as follows:

Sundays – 2 p.m.; 7 p.m. shows on 2/22, 3/8, 3/15)    Tuesday, February 17 – 6:30 p.m. / Tuesday, March 10, 17 – 7:30 p.m.           Wednesdays – 7:30 p.m. Additional Wednesday matinees February 25, March 4 – 1:30 p.m.   Thursdays – 7:30 p.m. Fridays – 7:30 p.m. (no show, 3/6), Saturdays  3 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Special dates include:

TalkBacks following Tuesday performances on February 17 and March 10
Early Bird Performance – Tuesday, February 17 @ 6:30 p.m.
Audio-Described Performance – Tuesday, February 17 @ 6:30 p.m.
ASL Performance – Friday, March 20 @ 7:30 p.m.
Open-Captioned Performances – Thursday, February 19 @ 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 25 @ 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 4 @ 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 15 @ 2 p.m., Saturday, March 21 @ 3 p.m.

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online at milwaukeerep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490, or in-person at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.