Theatre Review: 'The Nether' by Backyard Theatre Ensemble

New Britain - The non-profit Backyard Theater Ensemble is presenting “The Nether” by Jennifer Haley on the stage at Hole in the Wall Theater in New Britain as their first in-person show post-COVID. To my mind, this merging of BTE and Hole in the Wall is an inspired collaboration.

This sci-fi play was written in 2014. Tina Parziale of Backyard Theater Ensemble has directed the piece with a strong vision; she also facilitated excellent performances from the talented cast members that she chose.

This dark work is set in the not-too-distant future, where the Internet has become "the Nether," a virtual realm that can be experienced with all the senses. What is left of the “real” world is fraught with resource shortages, environmental catastrophes, and population decline forcing much of human activity online.

It seems that the only thing preventing a mass migration (dubbed “crossing over”) of the remaining humans to The Nether is a lack of programming for realistic sensation, but this sensory limitation is being remedied by the coding in Mr. Sims’s Victorian world of idyllic beauty. In “The Hideaway” one can indulge with full sensory experience, in any personal desire without the threat of consequence or shame...or so the marketing materials say.

Then Detective Morris launches an investigation into the nefarious activities of The Hideaway and the characters and the audience begin to see the real world consequences of living out these desires in The Nether.

“Like all truly remarkable pieces of literature, Haley’s script offers no ‘answers,’ only further, deeper questions. So as you journey into the nether with us tonight, may your mind be nimble and may your heart be open….(If you had hoped BTE’s first piece back would be anything light and fluffy, you don’t really understand what we are here to do…)” - Director Tina Parziale

So this in-person presentation of virtual reality is not exactly a light comedy, but in my experience, Backyard Theatre Company presents pieces that require the audience to think. BTE's mission is to bring theater to local stages that is unique, controversial, and challenging. “Extremities,” “Gidion's Knot,” and “Belleville” are three BTE productions that I reviewed before the pandemic. This is Parziale’s eighth season with STE and her fourth as the artistic director of the group.

Parziale also points out in her director’s note in the printed program that the playwright had no inkling when she published this play that six years later the pandemic would force the world to move our lives online. She also raises a slew of questions surrounding virtual reality and its potentially disturbing consequences; one might be concentrating too much on the intricacies of the dystopian world to ponder all of the questions until after the performance. In fact, I realized afterwards that I had partially missed the true identity of one of the characters, although I caught that all was not as it seemed.

Dina Addorisio (“Our House” at Hole in the Wall and “Secret Shakespeare” at Whiting Mill) is achingly convincing as the hard-nosed Detective Morris who goes toe-to-toe with Mr. Sims/Papa, portrayed by A.M. Bhatt. Bhatt is a published photographer, international public speaker, playwright and stage actor and it is his strong acting ability that is required to get through his dual role. I hope to be able to see both of these actors in upcoming productions.

Doug Benham plays well the aging educator Mr. Doyle. Active in theater and film-making as a young man, Benham became involved with my colleague Brooks Appelbaum and the Wild Surmise theatre group several years ago.

Sophie Capps-Hawkins curls her hair in Victorian pipe curls and steps out of her comfort zone to play the young girl Iris, marking her first dramatic role. A recent graduate of Conard HS in West Hartford, this young actress makes us believe that she is a character not entirely comfortable in her virtual role.

Ryan Wantroba (pictured above) takes on the role of Mr. Woodnut, the virtual agent who is investigating The Hideaway, in his seventh production with this company. He has lost count of how many HITW productions in which he has participated. Wantroba currently serves on the Board of BTE and is the acting president of Hole in the Wall Theater.

The beautiful set design was accomplished by Evan Seide, who also is the technical director in charge of props and sound design. The lighting design by Rob MacPherson was moody when appropriate and also ushered the audience into the Nether-world. MacPherson most recently lit the excellent “Something Rotten” for East Lyme Regional Theater. Kudos to Seide and MacPherson on a stunning accomplishment.


Tickets are on sale now at https://hitw.org/tickets/. Remaining show dates are Oct. 16, 22, 23 at 8pm, October 17 at 2pm.

Admission Price is $23 General Admission, $20 Seniors/Students Performances are presented at Hole in the Wall Theater, 116 Main St, New Britain, CT 06051
Find out more at: www.backyardtheater.org

*Masks are required for all BTE/HITW volunteers and audience members regardless of vaccination status in order to help keep the unmasked actors, and the volunteers and fellow patrons safe.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

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