Iowa
So much of our lives are "lived" online, for better or worse. Have you ever stopped to wonder the cost of all this virtual reality? In Jenny Schwartz and Todd Almond 's new absurd musical, Iowa , the writers present a dizzying, at times overwhelming, representation of online lives. (Credits: Schwartz—book and lyrics; Almond—music and lyrics.) Their characters spew lines at each other (no one actually connects), with their verbal assaults sounding like an online comments board. Through their communication, we see a satirical depiction of how easy it is to fall down an online rabbit hole, flitting from distraction to distraction. These characters say anything that comes to mind, never mind what the people on the other end of their selfish monologues feel or think or have to say in response. Indeed, the logo for the show, with the lower case "i," reinforces the selfish nature we as a society have taken on thanks to 21st century technology; the "i" ...