Much of what we do everyday happens online. Now we have Facebook and Twitter, but what lies beyond, and what lies beyond cars and planes? Is it more technology or is it less?
Lucas Myers of the Nelson-based theatre company Pilotcopilot is looking into the future and offering a little guidance through his new play iShow.
“I enjoy science fiction and speculative fiction and the questions of what’s going to happen in the future,” said Myers. “I came across this great book A Super Sad True Love Story, by a New York writer and it’s set in an indeterminate future, but he does a really amazing job of extrapolating what it would be like in the future when every single person has their own website and they’re always kind of doing digital stuff online.”
iShow combines a website world with the post-technology era where peak oil has eliminated the use of our cars.
“There’s this funny thing where online there is this place where all the technology is, but outside we have to ride our bikes around,” said Myers.
Through a self-help seminar format, the audience is introduced to Raymond, the lecture host.
“He came out of the circumstance of having to do this self-help seminar, so there’s this personality type right there. He’s super confident, but I don’t know if he’s really good at it though,” said Myers.
“It’s that kind of thing of being able to bluster his way and I think it sort of catches up with him in the play. He’s a new guy, and I’m still getting to know him, but I think he’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Throughout the play, Raymond is faced with situations and problems that he has to fix, including power outages.
“He has to get on his bike and ride it to start the power up again,” said Myers.
Like many of the other Pilotcopilot productions, he relies on audience help to guide the show.
“The hard thing about a one person show is conflict because there’s only one of you, so I bounce off the audience a little bit there,” he said.
Even though Myers had intentions of incorporating serious themes into the play, iShow is a comedy.
“It’s a comedy so it will be a fun time and be expected to think a little bit. There is an emotional arch to the story as well. It’s emotionally satisfying,” he said.
“I decided when I was starting to work on it, that I was going to have all of this intense commentary about what we’re doing, and in iShow as it is there is some of that, but I decided part way through that I wanted it to be funny too. I didn’t want to lecture people about the environment or anything like that.”
Myers will be touring with his play Deck, but said iShow could be his only Nelson show.
iShow will be Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1 at the Capitol Theatre.
Tickets are $16 and $13. Call the Capitol Theatre at 250-352-6363 or reserve online at capitoltheatre.bc.ca