When her lover disappears Frannie sinks into a pajamas-only depression. Her friends try to distract her with a book about chaos theory little knowing they’re headed down a slippery path through enticing alternate realities. Does the Machine they’re building actually work, or are they luring each other into collective delusions of wish-fulfillment? And what if these seductive changes bring about the end of the world?
Development:
Production: Knox College New Play Festival, Galesburg, IL, dir. Elizabeth Tweedy May 2016
Publication: Original Works Publishing Sept 2016
Production: Annex Theater, Seattle, WA dir. Pamala Mijatov April 2014
Annex Theatre, Seattle, WA April 2014, dir. Pamala Mijatov
Cast: Eddie DeHais, Keiko Green, Drew Highlands, and Jana Hutchison.
Stage Manager – Kaeline Kine
Scenic/Props Designer – Robin Macarteny
Costume Designer – Amy Escobar
Lighting Designer – Gwyn Skone
Sound Designer – Kyle Thompson
The Machine Designer – Emily Sershon
Production Manager – Catherine Blake Smith
Technical Directors – Ian Johnston, Emily Sershon
Graphic Design – Ash Williamson
French Dialect Coach – Eddie Dehais
Photo Credit: Ian Johnston
Press:
Preview from Capitol Hill Blog
Preview from Capitol Hill Times.
Review from TheSunbreak.
“Meaker shifts the audience/performance relationship drawing us into the concerns of the characters by resting our entire understanding of the play on the question the characters must answer. Their search goes from frivolous to effective, but Meaker is wary of copping out with a deus ex machina or a simple twist (a la Sixth Sense or Fight Club). As with the rest of this very real universe of soft-edged gender and orientation this is not a world of either/or, but of multiple possible answers. Meaker suggests the possibilities without committing to any one. In Chaos Theory uncertainty is, for once, both comforting and satisfying.”
Review from Seattle Weekly.
“Amid this absurdity, Meaker and director Pamala Mijatov force us to make sense of the action, but in the end we succumb to the hopelessness and futility of existence, love, and identity. Chaos Theory starts off gimmicky and cute, yet it ultimately makes us, and Frannie, confront the limits of common sense.”
“ In local playwright Courtney Meaker’s new absurdist tragicomedy (aptly subtitled “A Play Seeking Order”), there seems to be exactly that—a series of events that don’t fit together. That doesn’t mean there isn’t exposition; in fact, Chaos Theory is replete with rather dense character development, plot twists, and pathos.”
Review from Drama in the Hood.
“…the play written by Courtney Meaker was intimate, polished, and had the audience feeling as if they were a fly on the wall of a hilarious sitcom.”
“Though the play has a blatant speculative science-fiction slant to it, it is surprisingly and refreshingly character-driven. The play grapples with ideas of perception of reality, time relativity, gender binaries, friendship dynamics, and heart-wrenching moral dilemmas.”
“Thanks to Meaker’s smart writing and the excellent cast, the play had me wishing I could be friends with Frannie, Seth, and Bach, and be a part of their quick back-and-forth verbal banter.”
“Prepare to have your brain twisted into a pretzel with ideas of alternate realities and parallel universes. Though the events of the play were confusing at times, the writing and acting never felt pretentious or overbearing, because the characters felt just as confused and conflicted as I felt sitting in the audience. Reminiscent of Inception, the ending will force viewers to make their own mind up about what really happened, what is about to happen next, and whether the characters are actually experiencing reality or the alternate realities of a parallel universe.”
Review from Seattle Actor.
“One of the things I like best about Meaker’s writing is the inclusion of LGBT characters without that ever being part of the plot; without that ever being a problem in itself, rather they are just part of the world.”
“Seattle Playwright Courtney Meaker has made a very impressive introduction into the local theater scene. Her play “Buckshot” was a strong announcement of her confidence and skill in telling intimate stories of real people. In her newest play, “Chaos Theory” now being presented at the Annex Theatre under the accomplished direction of Pamala Mijatov, she is even more ambitious.”
C. Meaker 