A huge round of applause for Keegan Theatre’s full-on commitment to commissioning, workshopping, and producing new works. At a time when many theaters must rely on sure-bet seat fillers based on familiar intellectual properties, it is a pleasure to watch fresh discoveries emerge on stage in Keegan’s Boiler Room Series. And in its latest world premiere, the company has gone all out, mounting a visually and aurally outstanding production to showcase Angelle Whavers’ ambitious and cryptically titled John Doe.
The director of John Doe, Josh Sticklin, also serves as scenic designer, technical director, and artistic director of the Boiler Room Series, and the artful congruence he brings to these multiple roles is evident as soon as the lights come up.
At the core of John Doe — as we learn through scenes, sounds, and projections that flow cinematically one into another on a turntable — are parallel stories about two women who each tragically lost a brother. … The play’s ending is truly touching — I’ll not say more except that Zia and Doe each have an honestly emotional encounter with mortality…
Angelle Whavers’ John Doe may be a play that’s still finding its way, but its premiere production is in excellent hands at Keegan, which has uplifted the script with superb stagecraft and even some surprising wit.
