Box Exp. is on view in Act One. Through five paintings inspired by the Black Mirror universe, author Lauriane Charbonneau takes us on an interesting reflection on humanity in the era of social networks and artificial intelligence.
The five tableaux immerse viewers in different stories. From the exchange between an influencer in political reconversion and a host whose bite is the goodwill, to the subcutaneous chip that only wants your good, through a conversation of roommates on stem cells and pregnancy or another dive into a residence where all beings are physically isolated but connected and develop bonds, each story is told well enough to surprise at the last moment with a delicate touch of humanity. We won’t tell you more, because one of the great successes of the play is precisely this ability to tell captivating, contemporary stories, with an unexpected twist.
The paintings are both fiercely funny and touching. Even though the scenes take place in the not-too-distant future (in the years 2040-2050), the situations are oh so familiar, and it’s not hard to see that we may not be in a dystopia but in near reality. The author’s science fiction allows us to question ourselves about the present times, in a completely intelligent and mature way. “This text is a reflection of our current society in a futuristic context. This is neither a wish nor a warning. Box Exp. is our daily dystopia,” says Lauriane Charbonneau. And if you come out of the room with many questions, it’s neither depressing nor guilt-inducing. What future do we want? What connection to the world do we desire? Will we still be able to experience the warmth of human skin in a few years? It’s up to us to choose…
Box Exp. is a piece with a lot of character, well-paced, which manages to offer many different atmospheres thanks to a simple and effective staging. We could just regret not seeing everything correctly if we are not in the front row, but on reflection, it is also a very interesting way of letting the imagination of the spectators exercise and the don’t lose anything. Note: each evening, fifteen people will have the chance to be selected to participate in the play. Rest assured, this simply involves using your cell phone, a banal and daily gesture, with little or no consequence.
In addition to the amazing Lauriane Charbonneau, who we saw in La Nuit du 4 au 5 au Premier Acte in May 2022, the young actors of Box Exp. excellent in the interpretation of the different characters, with just enough candor (or cynicism) for one to become attached to the characters and their deep humanity.
Further information
- Box Exp., from November 29 to December 10, 2022.
- Tickets
- Interpretation: Charlie Cameron-Verge, Lauriane Charbonneau, Gaïa Cherrat Naghshi, Clément Desbiens, and Mary-Lee Picknell (voice)