Arts, Etc.Theater

Audience goes interactive with ‘The System’

In the midst of an cyber duel, Jack Wallace (Nathan Hamilton) and Herculinium Barney Boy (S. Baker Eatmon) fight for recognition and acceptance from their interactive audience. The final showings of “The System,” Hamilton’s senior project, will be tonight and tomorrow night in Dailey Theatre. / photo by Brian Murphy
In the midst of an cyber duel, Jack Wallace (Nathan Hamilton) and Herculinium Barney Boy (S. Baker Eatmon) fight for recognition and acceptance from their interactive audience. The final showings of “The System,” Hamilton’s senior project, will be tonight and tomorrow night in Dailey Theatre. / photo by Brian Murphy

by Merritt Beckett
Staff Writer

“Jack Wallace represents anyone who ever really wanted something, and realized once it was too late that what they wanted was empty and wouldn’t last,” said Nathan Hamilton of the main character in his play, “The System.”

Hamilton wrote, directed, stars in and designed the play as his senior project. The cast consists of 12 actors who, in most cases, play more than one role.

The play is centered around the M.A.U.V.E. (Multimedia, Audience-interactive, and User-controlled, Virtual Entertainment) computer. The characters of M.A.U.V.E. and Dr. Thrush are played by senior Scot McElvany.

“It is unbelievable how there can be so much humanity in a play that is structured around a computer,” said McElvany.

Hamilton drew from many sources for inspiration in forming the play. He said the process started with finding music, writing the script and adding in the dance numbers last.

He describes the play as a comedy that becomes a tragedy while dealing with humanity in a variety of high technology systems. He hopes the play will comment on the role of the individual in the systems they create and maintain.

The play is designed to be an interactive experience for the audience. An overhead screen displays a menu that gives the audience several choices. Each of the 200 seats in Dailey Theatre is equipped with a remote control so that the audience can vote for the action that they want to see on stage.

“The backbone of the play is human interaction. People have become so disconnected from theater, because entertainment has taken so many avenues, that people have become bored with theater. The interaction is supposed to bring the excitement of new technology to the stage,” said Hamilton.

“Working with Nathan and the rest of the cast has been funny as hell,” said sophomore cast member Veero Der-Karabetian.

The System runs tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. The cost of admission is $1 per person.

“For California, the most important issue is Prop. 187. It concerns so many issues with education and welfare and in California we have a lot of immigrants. It’s a human rights thing.” —Merritt Beckett, junior
Merritt Beckett
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