- Hypothetical Projects
“In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.”
A scroll through the history of the Internet as we know it, FanAddict examines our current influencer culture and what people will do to stay relevant.
Raised in front of a camera, Luke has been famous for as long as he can remember. The one thing he doesn’t remember is being given a choice. Luke begins to question who he is outside of the fame when Kendra, a teenage superfan, wins a meet and greet with her favourite influencer.
Praise for Hypothetical Projects:
Harry S. Rintoul Award Nominee, How to Live Forever
5 STARS (Art)ist – Winnipeg Free Press
A heart-breaking look into a family raised on YouTube, this show deftly tackled heavy themes of consent and autonomy in childhood, the challenges of fame, and the complex form of loneliness that comes from being seen by all but known by none. The artistic choice to have the vast majority of the characters only appearing through voice over was certainly an interesting one with powerful metaphorical implications, and it was pulled off brilliantly by Ethan Stark (the one performer on stage interaction with all these disembodied voices). That being said, I did wish that I could have seen the faces of the other actors, especially during the more emotional moments. More than making the characters feel removed from each other, it made me feel removed as well – but maybe that was the point.
I enjoyed this IMMENSELY. A must see at the fringe this year, please go!
I’m so impressed with the execution of this show. The visual incorporation was very tasteful. The whole thing felt very intentional and sadly realistic. Well done!
This was great!
It felt like it was much longer than an hour, just because of how the storytelling was, and how interested and intrigued I kept getting as the show went on.
The opening was hilarious! (If you go, you’ll know.)
Overall, the whole story was a great way to show how YouTube has been over the years, and also shows how after doing something since childhood can really shield your view of everything else that you CAN do.
I really liked this show and how it was executed. The use of projection and voice-overs added to the feel of the disconnect between real life and internet personas.
Ethan Stark is a very strong performer and the dialogue with the off-stage characters was flawless. The other performer (whose name I don’t know) seemed very natural in the role of a teen superfan.
A couple of things to note if you’re going to see this – I sat in the back half of the theatre and, at times, found myself straining to hear Kendra, as there was some environmental noises within the theatre. It would probably benefit the audience if they could project a little more, but, if you’re concerned about being able to hear, maybe just sit a little closer to the front.
Along the same line – the theatre was brilliantly used for projections, but there was some text that I couldn’t quite read from where I was sitting. If you think you might have trouble with that, again, just sit a little closer.
Overall – fantastic show. Well done!
A thought-provoking and beautiful piece that explores what happens to the kids who are the subjects of mommy-vlogs. The story follows Luke throughout many stages in his life as he attempts to separate his own wants and needs from those of his controlling mother and loyal fans.
Finlayson perfectly balances intense emotional moments with comedic references to the absurd internet culture we all know and love/hate. Her choice to have the main character on stage alone, conversing with invisible voice-overs, highlights the characters isolation and invites us into his world.
Overall, FanAddict serves as a reminder of the complicated and hostile environment that the internet and social media foster, while offering a glimmer of hope for our protagonist in the end. Cast was incredible, tech was incredible, script was incredible. Will be liking and subscribing to this one 👍❤️
As is always the case with this play’s author, the dialogue is stellar. There’s never a sense of “this isn’t how real people talk”, and yet the dialogue still manages to make you laugh one minute and cringe with sympathy the next. Special kudos to the actors who brought those words to life with such skill, especially Ethan Stark as Luke, the bitterly unhappy young man who never got to experience a real childhood.