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Everyone knows the evil side of the oh-so-convenient call waiting.

Saturday May 05, 2001.     By Rachel Ballard

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Lookinggalss Theatre Co.
Reservations: (312) 443-3800
Running Thursdays-Sundays through July 26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone knows the evil side of the oh-so-convenient call waiting. Most are familiar with the sudden drop in self esteem that goes along with the message that "you have no new mail." Director Laura Eason explores the pros and cons of these and other current technological wonders in the world premiere Lookingglass production of "28: Pictures of Life in a High-Tech World."

Though "28" deals with broad societal questions, it does so from a personal perspective, exploring the desire for human contact and finding one's place within a community. "28" follows nine characters from different walks of life on one night in Chicago. Their stories are woven together using film, video, soundscapes and a multistory, futuristic set capable of creating both intimacy and cold, mechanical distance among the characters.

Eason is known for starting with found texts and current articles, selecting a cast, and developing a play from there. "28" is no exception. Initially inspired by the works of Harvard's Robert Putnam and NYU's Neil Postman, Eason added in personal experiences to create an hour-and-a-half performance to which every audience member can relate.

The title is drawn from a recent study that discovered American adults watch an average of four hours of television per day--28 hours each week. A video montage in the middle of the play demonstrates how video clips, sound bites and attention spans have grown shorter and shorter since the introduction of television. Major moments in recent U.S. history flip across the screen as the characters drift away one by one.

As several of the characters are actors, there is a play within a play that tells an ancient Korean tale. Though perhaps a little long (proving that attention spans truly are shorter today), the choreographed movement and simple story line of the play present a sharp contrast to the hectic, modern world in which the characters live.

"28" thankfully doesn't try too hard to drive home the over-preached message: TV bad, theatre good. The play simply portrays modern reality, letting the audience decide to laugh at the jokes and go away happy or to look for more meaning behind the ordinary.

-- Rachel Ballard