THE SUMMERLAND PROJECT Premieres Today at OCTA

Olathe Civic Theatre Association (OCTA) completes its 40th Anniversary Season with the Kansas City area premiere of The Summerland Project by Iowa playwright Rob Merritt. The show is directed by Patrick Poe and runs tonight, June 5-21.

"What makes us human?"

Driven by this fundamental question, The Summerland Project is the story of Amelia and Carter Summerland, a young couple in love. When Amelia suffers an aneurysm that leaves her unresponsive and slowly dying, police officer Carter searches for a way to revive her. He's approached by Wesley Enterprises about allowing Amelia to be the test subject for an experimental program that will place her mind in a new, artificial body, and out of desperation, he agrees.

The play explores the question of whether the result is really Amelia Summerland, or is it something else entirely? As Carter gets to know this new Amelia, he struggles to accept her. And Amelia struggles as well, trying to determine who and what she is. Opposing viewpoints on the subject are brought to light through a cast of characters with very different perspectives and agendas.

Playwright Rob Merritt says he always wanted to find a way to address this theme, but wasn't sure how.

"It's predicted that if computers keep advancing at the current rate, we will have a computer that's big enough and fast enough to simulate every neuron in the human brain and run a fully functional human brain -- that we will see this happen not only in our lifetimes, but possibly, in the next few decades," Merritt said.

"If that's true, and we do that, what would that mean? If you copied a brain that way, would it be human? If it can think and remember exactly like the original one did, then why wouldn't it be alive? And if it isn't, then what is it that makes us human?

"I felt like once I thought about that, not only did I have a way to tell my story -- the one I wanted to tell for a long time -- I knew that it was an opportunity to explore much bigger themes," Merritt said.

Originally presented in Iowa in 2011 as part of the Theatre Cedar Rapids Underground New Play Festival, The Summerland Project's scope and potential caught the attention of the theatre's artistic director who advocated to get it on TCR's main stage.

OCTA will be the second theatre to produce the show.

The cast includes: Artem Bagdasaryan (Carter Summerland); Sommer Brechiesen (Amelia Summerland); Anita Meehan (Dr. Ellen Beckett ); Derrick Freeman (Max Parker) Ted Collins (Paul Wesley); David Innis (Senator Thaddeus Williams); Laura Burt (Adah Allen).

The production staff is: Director, Patrick Poe; Stage Manager, Rebekah Grieb; Assistant Stage Manager and Costume Designer, Jo Bledsoe; Set Designer, Aaron Roose; Lighting Designer, J. Patrick Inlow; and Properties Designer, Vicky DeLaughder.

The Summerland Project is Director Patrick Poe's directorial debut at OCTA. "I love the political and romantic sides of the show. It has all aspects and viewpoints of the issue at hand in the play. It brings up an issue and opens up a forum instead of forcing an opinion," Poe said.

"I hope audiences walk out of the theater questioning. I hope they walk out wondering what it truly means to be human and to be alive. I hope it starts coffee house arguments about what makes something "living" and what is the extent of personal existence."

To learn more about the creation and themes of The Summerland Project, take a look at Rob Merritt's production video on YouTube.

The show runs for three weekends on June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21 with Friday and Saturday night performances at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

There will be talk-back sessions with playwright Rob Merritt following the June 5 and June 12 performances.

Tickets and more information are available at olathetheatre.org or reservations may be made by calling the theatre hotline at 913-782-2990.

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