You and a close group of friends are out at a dimly lit, divey bar. Or maybe it’s a higher end, cocktail place where you can grab a few classier drinks; nothing too crowded or cluttered with dude bros, but not so empty that you feel awkward about your voice’s volume. You share stories and laugh while buzzing up to a less reserved state of mind, and you feel like you couldn’t possibly be more comfortable.
CJ fulfills and amplifies the role of one of these friends, as she takes the stage, wine in hand, and boisterously recounts a rather unique set of experiences.
CJ explains that The Human Algorithm is a set of underlying, fundamental traits between all people. Or at least, she claims that she has come across some of these traits. She sips at her drink, and begins her first story of a taxi driver in Lima, and how their lack of communication yet their bond over music evoked this idea of what elements connect us as humans. Boy, this concept sure sounds like it could be deep; I can’t wait to hear it as explained by a tipsy middle-aged woman!
Unfortunately, despite the interesting premise, the stories don’t quite connect to the themes that the actress/playwright lays out before telling them. The two tales that relate to “how big a control freak you are” (one of her four unavoidable and universal human traits), don’t clearly illuminate the theme supposedly present in both of them. Categories such as “how much you can laugh at yourself” and “how big a hypocrite you are” are not convincingly referenced, as the associated stories cover too broad a spectrum of themes.
That said, the real gems of this show lie within the stories themselves, and rather than concerning yourself with the over-arching themes they may or may not catalyze, you should focus on the outlandish experiences CJ has undergone through her somewhat daunting amount of travel.
She delivers these stories like a close friend would, with a casual confidence and a friendly demeanor that makes this feel like less than a performance and more of an engaging conversation, even if it is one-sided.
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