By Ben Watson
Risk of Exposure, by Liz Whittaker, a streaming digital work at The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, is an instantly engaging blend of video chat and online dating app. Set inside the imaginary app space of “Sparkmate”, Whittaker, a local actor, director, intimacy diredtor, and theater reviewer, locates the viewer within the app looking out. The clever conceit works nicely in the current, Zoom-fueled world of online everything. Ali Lente is the eager and self-sure roommate, Delilah, to Whittaker’s Hero Lovelace main character. Their well-crafted exposition sets the digital stage for the yearnings and self-doubts and sometimes icky experiences that come with online dating. Lente’s Delilah gives Hero the perfect “Hot Priest” angel/devil on-your-shoulder goading to move the action into the matchup phase. As Whittaker swipes right and left, we see her window to the other app-dwellers, with sometimes hilariously cringy results. Local actors Aaron Woodall and Patrick Harris play these quick matches perfectly. Whittaker’s confidante, Kailey Azure Green, serves as Intimacy Coordinator for one notable scene. Following these less-desirable matches within the Sparkmate app, Hero lands upon Orion, played with quiet confidence and touching vulnerability by Tyler Fox.
Never-seen but ever-present masks become the metaphor for the conversational evolution between Hero and Orion. Whittaker shines in her reluctant acceptance of “this is what my dating life has come to” starting point, and with just a small video window to work with, lets us see her heart. The genuine chemistry between the two characters in this portion of the piece are a real treat and elevate the narrative from voyeurism to enthusiastic rooting for their success. Culminating in the question “Why did you swipe right?” this uniquely effective mash-up of theater and video reminds us that we all wear masks for protection from lots of scary things, and sometimes, it’s ok (though not in public places where social distancing isn’t possible) to remove our mask. Risk of Exposure is an engaging, thoughtful theater experiment, and a welcome connection to the arts which have been put on hold for much of the world. Bravo to Whittaker and her cast for taking the risk to produce Risk of Exposure.
The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival Presents Risk of Exposure, by Liz Whittaker.
Streaming at https://www.greatsaltlakefringe.org/attend
August 7, 2020, 9:45 PM
Tickets: Free, but suggested $5 donation via Venmo to @Liz-Whit
Great Salt Lake Fringe 2020 Facebook Page
Risk of Exposure Facebook Event
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