At Soho Theatre, Racheal Ofori's comedic play FLIP! criticizes social media culture as best friends Carleen and Crystal devote their identities to fame. The play explores the dark side of social media and its impact on how life is perceived.
In the age of social media, Carleen, played by Leah St. Luce, and Crystal, Jadesola Odunjo’s character, have risen to fame as influential personalities. Their chemistry is undeniable, infusing their characters and the narrative with freshness and infectious stamina.
Their fan base eagerly anticipates their next funny post and their online success appears unbreakable. They will be left questioning whether the benefits of social media success are worth the costs as they make their way through all of the valleys of this thrilling endeavor.
The risks of social media and the development of artificial intelligence are significant themes in this thought-provoking musical. It acts as a sobering reminder of the possible consequences of letting technology rule our lives. One of the central themes of FLIP! is the concept of selling one's image or AI key to a company, giving them complete control over one's online persona. This highlights the alarming trend of businesses capitalizing on and robbing people of identity control.
Carleen and Crystal perform a frantic, improvised scenario in which they snap, pose, robot-dance, and yell along to their best-known web hits. With her delightful humor and fast-paced work, director Emily Aboud sets the bar higher for the play's polish and gives it a whimsical, nearly cartoonish shimmer. The connection between the protagonists is naturally sparked by Aboud's skillful use of Ofori's dialogue.
Under the supervision of Eliyana Evan as sound designer and composer, the switches between live voices and pre-recorded ones are ingenious and have an exciting effect of highlighting the implications of AI that allow online contributors to appear in computer-generated content they never actually filmed.
FLIP! effectively showcases the risks and concerns surrounding future technology, leaving audiences pondering potential implications for society. Although the musical does not offer new insight into social media’s impact, FLIP! is a timely reminder of the addictive nature of online engagement and its hidden costs. It exudes a natural flow, and although you can predict where the plot is going most of the time, the performances of St. Luce and Ondujo are fun, freeing, and undoubtedly commendable.
