Theater Review by Marcina Zaccaria . . . .
With statistics tracked on a large screen overhead, aerobic kicks are measured and calculated when Kevin becomes a beta tester for a new workout system that combines an OmniVision headset and RealFit data. With mind-bending energetics Andrew Keenan-Bolger provides a glimpse into the life of a fitness obsessive in Scarlett Dreams, now playing at the Greenwich House Theater.
Milo (Borris Anthony York) and his sister, Liza (Brittany Bellizeare), are App Developers ready to capitalize on this new-wave fitness craze. As the protein drinks and vitamin supplements arrive Kevin, now obsessed with Scarlett, builds a relationship through workout sessions and text messaging. While perfectly blonde Scarlett, played smoothly by Caroline Lellouche, grows as a figure in Kevin’s ultimate fantasy, RealFit Hangouts turns into a virtual journey to a netherworld where health and fitness fanatics gain acceptance. Step by calibrated step, we see Kevin separate further from his husband, Milo.
Eventually, Kevin learns that time with Scarlett is like time in rehab. Scarlett is actually an acronym for “Strategic Coaching Assistant for Recovery, Longevity, Empowerment, Training, and Therapy.” Liza claims she created the virtual Scarlett to help Kevin. Reticence about early fitness success follows.
What if Kevin is working out too much? What if his virtual relationship with Scarlett interferes too much with his actual relationship with his husband? The weight of it becomes too much to bear as we learn that Scarlett is only, at first, allowed to exist in the virtual world. In a depiction of beautiful schizophrenia, Kevin is able to communicate with Scarlett only when he has his goggles on.
Kevin and Milo cope with the issues of body love, financial success, and interpersonal disaster. Conflict arises on launch day, and the range of dramatic action reaches an all-time high. Kevin decides to spend time upstate before writing a play that debuts in Tokyo, then travels to New York. It eventually wins a Pulitzer. Scarlett Dreams looms large alongside the reality of being a fitness guru in a world of A1 masterminds.
Is this really where America is turning? The larger questions posed by this 2024 drama are courageous. Playwright S. Asher Gelman poses the questions slowly, with great understanding surrounding the world of progressive fitness technology. With apps firmly embraced in an affordable marketplace, the frightening reality of “Developer Heaven” may continue to emerge. Inside such a world, there is the possibility of biological change, so seeing the humanity and frailty in the portrayal of Kevin is profound.
Successes of the human actor are complemented by a brilliant world of design, with immersive technology layered to dazzle the senses. Projection Design is by Brian Pacelli, Scenic Design is by Christopher & Justin Swader (Dig), and Lighting Design, complete with strobe, is by Jamie Roderick.
Scarlett Dreams. Through May 26 at the Greenwich House Theater (27 Barrow Street, at Seventh Avenue). 90 minutes, no intermission. www.scarlettdreamsplay.com
Photos: Jeremy Daniel
