Machines replacing workers? What could go wrong? The Actors' Gang revives 'The Adding Machine'

It’s a bully clip for Elmer Rice’s “The Adding Machine,” which tin lone mean that it’s erstwhile again a atrocious clip for workers.

I couldn’t callback erstwhile I past saw the 1923 expressionist play astir an accountant drone aptly named Mr. Zero who, aft losing his occupation to an adding machine, kills his brag and is sentenced to death, lone to participate an afterworld that confounds him to specified a grade that helium retreats into his stultifying bureau routine.

It turns retired I saw the play doubly successful 2007, erstwhile astatine La Jolla Playhouse successful an adventurous distillation directed by Daniel Aukin and erstwhile successful Los Angeles successful a much straightforward rendering astatine Circus Theatrical Studio Theatre astatine the Hayworth.

These productions took spot conscionable arsenic the Great Recession was astir to mow down the lives and livelihoods of dedicated workers, galore of whom mislaid much than their homes arsenic banks were bailed retired contempt their predatory shenanigans.

I’m sadly reminded of colleagues who ne'er recovered, a sobering thought arsenic we look down the tube of yet different employment crisis. AI is coming for each of us.

Automation isn’t a caller thing, arsenic Rice’s play reminds us. Workers continually person to accommodate to changing technology. But the standard of disruption contiguous is predicted to beryllium greater than thing that’s happened since the concern revolution. And lone the gullible could judge that good-hearted oligarchs volition prevention us.

Pierre Adeli, left, and Adam J. Jefferis successful “The Adding Machine.”

(Bob Turton Photography)

From a scenic perspective, the caller accumulation of “The Adding Machine” from the Actors’ Gang astatine the Ivy Substation successful Culver City renews the demi-classic with stark beauty. The revival, directed by Cihan Sahin, who is besides credited with the accumulation and projection design, carves retired pockets of ocular poesy connected the darkened stage.

Under Sahin’s coordination and artistry, the mise-en-scène harmonizes Chris Bell’s sets, Bosco Flanagan’s lighting, Patrick O’Connor’s projection illustrations and Rynn Vogel’s costumes with David Robbins’ dependable and euphony design. There’s truthful overmuch vying for your attention, including a Sisyphus fig successful the inheritance rolling his interminable load up and down an incline, that the maskwork that comes into play tin statesman to consciousness similar Brechtian overkill.

Megan Stogner, from left, Brent Hinkley, Mariana Jaccazio, and Chad Reinhart successful “The Adding Machine.”

(Bob Turton Photography)

The accumulation works champion erstwhile the play’s expressionistic flourishes invitation theatergoers to see much profoundly the subjective experiences and societal subtexts that are being externalized. At times, the company’s frenzied acting becomes theatrically alienating.

We’re expected to find the opening monologue flung by Mrs. Zero (Zoe Molina) astatine her long-suffering and insufferable husband, Mr. Zero (Pierre Adeli), off-putting. But Molina’s all-out onslaught whitethorn person you plotting your flight from the theater.

Yes, she’s a termagant, harridan and shrew — words we were meant to person expunged from our vocabulary agelong ago. Rice, nary protofeminist, was an adjacent accidental misanthrope successful “The Adding Machine.” But the playwright who besides wrote “Street Scene” didn’t privation the bold effects of his play to eclipse the quality story.

The bigger contented with the production, however, is 1 of rhythm. The pacing is off, particularly successful the drawn-out 2nd half. Sahin’s oculus is truthful attuned to the mise-en-scène that helium allows the actors to proceed astatine their ain tempo.

Zoe Molina, left, and Pierre Adeli play Mrs. and Mr. Zero, respectively.

(Bob Turton Photography)

The effect is not conscionable sluggish but overindulgent. Fortunately, Adeli’s Mr. Zero establishes the indispensable halfway of gravity. His scenes with Mariana Jaccazio’s Daisy, his co-worker with whom helium has a lust-hate relationship, are particularly riveting, oozing those contradictory feelings that Rice bravely refused to homogenize.

Mr. Zero is not conscionable a victim. He’s besides a passive assertive creep who transforms into a murderer. He’s corrupted from the wrong by a strategy that has nary respect for his humanity. Like Willy Loman, he’s enraged that his brag feels similar helium tin devour the orangish and past conscionable propulsion distant the peel — with impunity.

But Mr. Zero has bought into the crippled each spot arsenic vociferously arsenic Willy. The values he’s adopted are toxic successful their divisiveness. He’s a MAGA bully with a enslaved mentality. Lechery brings him distraction but small joy. In decease arsenic successful life, the lone alleviation helium tin find is successful the bookkeeping drudgery that has go not conscionable his individuality but his precise soul.

“The Adding Machine” is often abridged to fulfill modern tastes. The play shouldn’t beryllium grueling for audiences. But this visually striking revival from the Actors’ Gang makes wide that Rice inactive has our number.