by Harry Duke *

Fans of Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 sci-fi thriller Total Recall (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) or, for the real cinephile, John Frankenheimer’s underrated 1966 sci-fi thriller Seconds (starring Rock Hudson, of all people) looking for something in the same vein would do well to seek out a production of Bay Area playwright Greg Lam’s Repossessed. The show concludes its brief run at La Vals Subterranean Theater in Berkeley with one more matinee performance on Sunday, Aug. 9.

Rich (Alan Coyne) and Gretchen Warner (Claire Houghton Renoe) are a formerly well-off couple now facing bankruptcy after the failure of Rich’s video game company. They soon find out that’s the least of their problems after a meeting with Rich’s lawyer/friend Ted (David Ghilardi) and Regina (Rachael Richman), a representative of a company known as LifeEnhanced.

It seems that the Warner’s current financial position will make them unable to maintain the maintenance package on a program the two of them bought into a few years ago. The two’s lives have been “enhanced” by the implanting of different memories, new knowledge and skills, and complimentary personality traits directly into their brains. Their previous lives and memories have been superseded by a collection of others gleaned from paid subjects. They also paid to eliminate the memory of having it done.

Their inability to continue to pay the “maintenance fees” means the repo man (or woman, in this case) will soon be knocking on their door, and they will soon have to return to the lives they tried to leave behind. It’s all in the contract.

Rich goes first and Gretchen, not liking what she sees, tries to figure a way around the repossession. Corporate cold fish Regina might have a solution.

It’s a very interesting premise with some dark humor well played by the ensemble of actors gathered by director Gabriel A. Ross. Coyne and Renoe take on the challenge of playing two very different characters inhabiting the same body as the action moves back and forth between the past and the present (and, actually, the future but I don’t want to give anything away.)

Ghilardi does well as the quintessential douchebag of a lawyer. Richman’s Regina may come off a little flat and single-minded, but there’s a very clear reason for that (and I don’t want to give that away, either.)

Lam’s script has interesting things to say about choice, morality, and ethics, but it gets a bit convoluted at times with all the flashbacking, and the numerous scene changes (which required the enlistment of the cast as crew) didn’t help with the show’s flow.

The limitations of the performance space also presented challenges. Blocking, for one. I don’t think there was a space in the tiny basement theater that wasn’t utilized at some point, and it became clear after a while while several seats were marked as having an “obstructed view”.

It’s been years since I’ve seen a show there and I forgot just how distracting the noise from the pizzeria above can be. What a challenge it has to be for the actors as well. And don’t get me started on the hard, wooden lecture hall seats. Note to theater – consider renting cushions. I think you could make some coin.

I’d love to see this show again in a larger space with a more substantial budget (and perhaps some judicious editing.)

That everything worked as well as it did in its present form is a tribute to the commitment and talent of all involved.

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley presents ‘Repossessed’ at La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. Sun, 2pm. $25–$45. 510.649.5999 aeofberkeley.org

Photos by Jay Manley