Watson Intelligence is an Entertaining Puzzlement
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
November 20, 2015
UMD’s current production, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, is a “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma,” with its intriguingly interwoven series of vignettes played out over three centuries. Director Jenna Soleo-Shanks and her talented cast of three actors offer up a show so dazzlingly complex in its plot and themes that it demands discussion over multiple cups of coffee afterward.
For your scorecards, there are four Watsons: Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes' faithful sidekick; Thomas Watson, valued assistant to Alexander Graham Bell; Josh Watson, computer repairman and member of the Dweeb Team (read Geek Squad); and Watson, a prototype A.I. computer (an homage to the IBM computer that beat the best contestants on Jeopardy).
All four Watsons are played by Dylan Rugh, who is at turns immensely charming, incredibly nerdy, wildly funny, pompously erudite and, in each iteration, the undeniable heart of the show. His roles all establish that the brilliant people among us need their “exquisite helpers” to support them.
Rugh’s physicality, facial expressions and line readings are spot on in all of his Watsonian personae. His strongest portrayal comes as Josh Watson, an entirely improbable “leading man” who wins the audience’s hearts.
Wes Anderson delivers a mature performance as two characters named Merrick, each the eternally disgruntled husband and foil to two of the Watsons. As a modern-day recently elected city auditor and a dark and dangerous Victorian scientist, Anderson has a commanding vocal and physical presence and a dark vibe that serves as an effective contrast to Rugh’s Watsons.
At the center, of course, is a woman, times three, appropriately named Eliza (yes, there are twisted, nasty “Pygmalion” allusions). As a Ph.D. computer designer, a fainting Victorian wife and a thirties radio interviewer, actress Chelsea Campbell is vibrant, annoying, anguished and gorgeous.
She is most convincing in her modern-day role of the neurotic scientist who spends her evening dipping her Twizzlers in Jim Beam, chatting with her computer creation and longing for someone to understand her.
The plot lines linking these three, as they leap-frog through time, practically require a Venn diagram to keep track of — but in all the character configurations and curlicues of story strands are more importantly common thematic threads of love, loneliness, the female psyche, technology and communication.
Sometimes all of this can get too talky, philosophical, and meditative — and the show at two-and-a-half hours (with intermission) starts to drag by evening’s end — but the powerful cast and the considerable strengths in playwright Madeleine George’s 2014 Pulitzer Prize nominated script keep the audience involved.
Kia Lor’s simple but interesting set is anchored by a center scrim with creative projections to distinguish time and place — a train engine’s evocative smoke and accompanying sound effect are particularly stunning. Kudos to costume designer Brandin Stagg for beautiful and effective choices for each era. A tip of the top hat to the actors and their dressers, who manage incredibly fast and complex costume changes for scene after scene.
The sum of the parts of the show comes in a quote towards the end of the evening when Thomas Watson, Bell’s assistant, says, “Connection isn’t elegant, or precise, or rational. But it’s our fate to be bound up with one another, isn’t it? We are all born insufficient, and must look to others to supplement our strength.”
This thought-provoking production showcases actors solidly connecting with each other and their audience in a show that challenges, enlightens and entertains.
