By Kimberly Harper
When does perception become reality? If all anyone ever spends his or her time in is a virtual world, at what point does fantasy become a crime? And what happens when you’re forced to confront your reality, and realize that nothing is as it seems?
Welcome to The Nether, the next generation of the Internet, where people can log in, assume any identity they wish and travel through one virtual world to the next, interacting with others who have also assumed an avatar and personality that may be quite disparate from their real-world persona. If it sounds very close to the online culture we see today, it is. Playwright Jennifer Haley has set us up in a beautiful world, then filled it with some of the most disturbing subject matter and taboo fantasies we can think of.
Essentially, a man named Sims, played by Richard Donelly, has set up a Victorian themed world that is carefully cultivated, one of the best in the Nether in terms of sensory experience. In that world, he goes by “Papa,” as anonymity is crucial. And in that world, in which visitors are strictly screened to make sure they meet appropriate criteria, including that they are all adults, guests can engage in terrible crimes against child-like avatars. Detective Morris, played by Gamm favorite Casey Seymour Kim, is attempting to bring “Papa” to justice and destroy his server, Papa, meanwhile, is trying to defend himself by pointing out that none of the “children” are actually kids, which makes it permissible. Also defending himself is real-world professor Doyle,  played by Jim O’Brien who has become intertwined with Papa’s world and seems desperate to hold onto the in-world character Iris, played by Moses Brown student Ally Gower.
It’s dark and disturbing, although never obscene or gory, and left the audience uncomfortable for a lot of its one-act duration. But it also brings up a lot of good talking points that can be applied to how we interact online today. In a world full of keyboard warriors who can anonymously tear anyone apart, where people with strange inclinations can find each other instead of remaining isolated in their homes, when is “far enough” really “too far”? And what happens when that world inevitably breaks down, showing us for who we really are?
Director Judith Swift brings Haley’s story to life with talented actors who make strong choices. Donelly’s Papa is strong and stern, with only a hint of mirth when he’s interacting with certain characters in his world, namely Iris. And Gower, who appears much younger than her actual age, does a great job impersonating a child while hinting at the adult behind her youthful avatar. O’Brien gives us a hapless, somewhat pathetic Doyle, a character that is vastly different from his in-world persona, and Kim is fantastic as the no-shades-of-grey detective who has a few secrets of her own. Finally there’s the mystery man – a guest in Papa’s world named Woodnut, whose real-life identity remains unknown for the first part of the show. Jamie Dufault does a fine job with this role, taking his character from one who is at first quite uncomfortable in Papa’s world to one who doesn’t want to leave.
The Nether is certainly not family entertainment, but it’s good, strong theater that’s bound to leave you discussing it after the show. This is Gamm at its strongest, and if you can handle the subject matter, you want to give this show your time.
The Nether runs through March 26 at The Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket. Ticket may be obtained online at www.gammtheatre.org or by calling 401-723-0440.