The Internetz: a play in three acts
By Burton Taylor
Lance Writer
January 21, 2009
 Last week, the University Players’ premiered their newest production. This is the debut work of writer and director Emilio Lickleader.
The Internetz tells the story of an anthropomorphized Internet, “the Intern,” and his development from young army brat to Internet forum moderator to opulent media mogul, a life that Lickleader metaphorically mirrors the trajectory of the Internet.
When asked for his source of inspiration, Lickleader said, “I think that the Internet is so important now. We all know the Internet as it is today, but most people know little of how the Internet came to be. This is the story I wanted to tell, metaphorically.”
“The world of Internetz is our world, so of course the Internet exists in my play. The Intern must confront himself each time he goes online. It’s just like looking in the mirror except for him, the mirror is a computer monitor and there’s no reflection, and he doesn’t know that he’s looking at himself,” said Lickleader.
The less that is further said of the plot and dialogue, the better.
“It’s not the plot,” Lickleader said, “that matters. It’s the feelings, it’s the sense of progress and speed the audience experiences that matters. I’m not about plot. But if it were about plot, I’d say that I was doing a pastiche. Teh Internetz is Great Expectations meets Harry met Sally meets the Matrix meets Scarface meets Office Space. What I am doing here is theatre 2.0.”
The woeful script, however, is offset a rather elaborate staging.
Above the stage is a large video screen. Audience members were invited to text messages to a phone number during the performance and have these messages displayed on the monitor.
On either side of the stage is a chorus dressed in neon TRON jumpsuits, who serve to offer not only musical accompaniment, but also act as live forum chat members. Their incessant chatter with one another and those at the centre of stage is a source of much confusion.
At the back of the stage is another large screen that constantly streams the most popular YouTube videos. A welcome distraction from the play at hand, these videos seemed to have no relation to the events transpiring on stage.
As partial as I am to videos of cute pets, or men burping babies, all of this can be found for a more reasonable price (free) online.
This is the Vista of theatre. Avoid this abject production at all costs.
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