Patricia Milton's Comedy THE ENGINE OF OUR DISRUPTION Extends at Berkeley City Club

Central Works 2023 Season conclusion, THE ENGINE OF OUR DISRUPTION, a new comedy written by the award-winning playwright in residence Patricia Milton, has extended through November 19, 2023.  This is a raucous timely satire in which Artificial Intelligence meets Authentic Misconduct.  THE ENGINE OF OUR DISRUPTION is directed by Gary Graves with a cast that features Chelsea Bearce, Louel Señores, Michael Tuton and Jan Zvaifler. The production, directed by Gary Graves, has been characterized as an “exceptional comedy that simultaneously entertains, educates, satirizes and surprises” and has been enjoying full houses and great audience response. 

“Who will regulate this rapidly expanding technology, whose own developers admit they don't understand how it works?” remarks playwright Patrica Milton. “Just as AI hype hits a fever pitch, I've noticed Big Tech companies laying off or firing the bulk of their AI Ethics teams. Ousted Google AI Ethics Officer, Timnit Gebru, has said, ‘I'm not worried about machines taking over the world. I'm worried about groupthink, insularity, and arrogance in the AI community.' These concerns led me to write the play. It's not a bots-gone-rogue tale, but rather a satirical comedy that examines developer bias, self-actualizing cars, and the idea of turning over all our decisions to an ethics-trained wearable. After all, what could go wrong?”

In Milton's new comedy THE ENGINE OF OUR DISRUPTION, Kamiri is the newly-hired Chief Ethics Officer of a mega-tech company named Bubble, where Artificial Intelligence promises to open up a whole new world of technological possibilities. But when Kamiri discovers that Bubble is developing a new wearable device intended to guide users in their day-to-day ethical decisions, she finds herself in an ethical dilemma of her own. Will she risk her job in order to do the right thing?  What is the right thing to do? Oh, and her boss is an ex-lover. What does Artificial Intelligence have to say about that? THE ENGINE OF OUR DISRUPTION plays Thur & Fri at 8pm, Sat at 7pm & Sun at 5pm.  More info: centralworks.org

THE ENGINE OF OUR DISRUPTION was developed in the Central Works Writers Workshop, an ongoing commissioning program established in 2012.  Three times yearly, in 12-week sessions, 8 local playwrights are selected to develop projects through informal readings and carefully directed discussions.This Central Works Method plays bring together writer, actors and director at the very outset of the playwriting process. In a supportive workshop environment, group research and collective brainstorming contribute to the entire development of the script.

Patricia Milton (playwright) is Resident Playwright at Central Works, and her plays have been produced around the world. Her productions at Central Works include Bamboozled (Outstanding Production, East Bay, and Outstanding Ensemble, Theatre Bay Area), Hearts of Palm, Reduction in Force, The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective (BroadwayWorld Critics Choice "Best of Maine" 2022, at The Public Theater) and Escape from the Asylum (Outstanding Production, 2022, SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle). Enemies: Foreign and Domestic was awarded Outstanding World Premiere Play by Theatre Bay Area. Her audio plays are Bystanders (Central Works) and The Law of Attraction (New Conservatory Theater Center, San Francisco). Without Mercy was commissioned and produced by Off-Broadway West. Her comedy Believers was produced in San Francisco (Wily West Productions) and ran for three years in Istanbul, Turkey. She is a former Regional Representative for the Dramatists Guild and former President, Playwrights Center of San Francisco.

Gary Graves (director) has been a resident playwright and company co-director at Central Works since 1998. He has been a part of developing 72 world premiere productions with the company, many of which he has either written and/or directed. Some of the other productions he has directed for the company include The Dignity Circle, Dreaming in Cuban, The Lady Matador's Hotel, King of Cuba, Bamboozled, Chekhov's WARD 6, Into the Beautiful North, and Machiavelli's The Prince. He directed the company's first collaboratively developed script, Roux, at the Berkeley City Club in 1997. He also leads the Central Works Playwriting Program, and he teaches playwriting year-round at the Berkeley Rep School of Theater.

ACTORS:

Chelsea Bearce (Kamiri Firestone) is thrilled to be back on the Central Works stage. She is a TBA award winner for “outstanding actor in a principal role” playing Savannah in Bamboozled at Central Works. She is a Benicia native and some of her favorite roles include Risa in Two Trains Running, Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors and Esther in Intimate Apparel. She is a two time “Lead Actress” Arty Award Winner, an actor with the SF based sketch comedy group, Killing My Lobster, has performed stand up comedy for over fifteen years all over the country and came in third place in the 45th SF International Comedy Competition. Chelsea is also a contributing playwright for Brooklyn Children's Theater in New York.

Louel Señores (Chip Wingo) is an actor and stage manager based right here in Berkeley! You may have recently seen him in Tea Party (One of Our Own), Dream Hou$e (Shotgun Players), or you probably didn't see him stage managing Yerma (Shotgun Players), Balikbayan Box (TheatreFIRST), and Water by the Spoonful (SF Playhouse). He's a proud company member of Berkeley Interactive Theater and PlayGround SF (where he has recently joined the Writers Pool) He is absolutely delighted to be working with Central Works again, as he considers CW to be his first post-college theatrical home all those many years ago from 2009 - 2011 as their

resident SM. Much gratitude to those still creating and supporting live theater

in this crazy time we're living in!

Michael Tuton (Xtopher Wolf) is making his acting debut with Central Works. He is a playwright, actor and ad guy. His 1-Act play Boogie Cousins and the 1.8 Seconds That Changed Everything was produced on the Potrero Stage and was honored as Best of Playground/2023. His play Privilege medaled at both the PCSF Play-Offs and the 2022 Act One: One Act festival in NYC. He recently co-founded Network Effects Theater Company. He develops new plays in the Central Works Writer's Workshop and lives in Oakland.

Jan Zvaifler (Kay Firestone) is delighted to be co-creating another role in a Patricia Milton world-premiere. As Lily Janiak (SF Chronicle) says, "Patricia Milton has a scrumptious way with comedy." Ms. Z. is a founding member of the company and co-director of Central Works along with Gary Graves. She has participated over the past 33 seasons as an actor, designer, director and/or producer. She was seen on stage in last season's "Victorian Ladies" sequel, Escape from the Asylum. She has also worked with many other local theater companies including the Berkeley Rep, Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, Marin Theater Company, San Francisco Playwrights Foundation, and San Francisco Shakespeare Festival.

To post a comment, you must register and login.