What if there are "others" who look exactly like you? What if you're walking down the street and see your mirror image? Would you ask where he came from and who created him, or would you go about your business, wondering about that person for the rest of your life?
The new production "A Number" asks these very questions. The show has gained well-deserved critical acclaim since its city premiere at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston. Caryl Churchill's brilliantly-written play ponders current topics regarding the ethics of cloning and the future of science.
Although "A Number" has two-person cast, its plot twists are thrilling and constant, mostly due to Churchill's engaging and absorbing dialogue. Despite the complicated scientific theories that the play covers, the dialogue is succinct and quick-moving.
Set in England, "A Number" features a father-son duo, Salter (Steve McConnell) and Bernard (Lewis D. Wheeler), along with cloned "replicas" of the latter. Salter is a remorseful and apologetic father with a knack for dishonesty. As innocent and intelligent Bernard questions him about the nature of his own birth and the supposed death of his mother, Salter slowly reveals to his son their actual family history.
Bernard learns his father took genetic information from his first child, a boy who was mysteriously "sent away." Salter then used this stolen DNA material to "create" Bernard years later. Salter's wife had actually been dead long before he had been born.
As Bernard tries to grapple with these family secrets, he begins to question cloning and contemplates whether he would want to meet "others" that resemble him.
In a startling moment, a later scene opens with Salter and someone who appears to be Bernard. Even though he looks the same, his mannerisms and accent are incredibly different. We learn that this individual is actually the original son, and that Bernard was cloned using his genetic material. Unable to understand this complicated situation, the original son physically threatens the father out of anger. He then blames his father for his difficult youth, and wonders if the other son had a better life.
Skip Curtiss' set design is sparse and works to enhance the talent of the actors. The simple design, combined with the limited action on stage, gives the actors more freedom to emote the sentiments and passion of their respective characters.
McConnell is a strong and humorous Salter. Perpetually caught in a lie, he adeptly denies accusations while remaining a strong father figure. Wheeler is brilliant at personifying multiple characters. When one scene ends, he goes backstage transforms into another character with new and impressive distinguishing characteristics. None of the performances would bring the same emotional impact were it not for the direction of Spiro Veloudos, who is able to coax effective and believable character developments out of his actors.
"A Number" works by asking critical questions of our society. By the end of the play, audiences have a better understanding of the humanitarian dilemmas of cloning.
