Mcneal (Broadway)

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

Jacob McNeal (Robert Downey Jr.) has had an enviable career publishing several novels and even winning a Pulitzer. The only award missing now is a Nobel prize for Literature. Arguing with his family doctor Sahra (Ruthie Ann Miles) about his alcohol intake and how this can lead to incurable stage 4 liver failure in three months if not controlled, he goes on a tirade about life, death, and being a writer when his phone suddenly rings with a call from a Swedish number. Confirming his win, he is confronted by his guilt, or lack thereof, of passing off his wife’s unpublished manuscript as his own as well as using the AI he has openly lashed out against to write his latest work. Add some drama from his estranged son Harlan (Rafi Gavron) as well as pressures from his agent Stephie (Andrea Martin), McNeal is on the brink of a nervous breakdown, but AI just won’t write a plausible death, a human concept it does not fully understand.

Seeing a Hollywood actor in a Broadway show is always fun, a test of acting prowess on a stage that does not allow a take two. Downey Jr. appears to be in some sort of victory lap in his career, winning an Oscar, getting nominated for an Emmy and, now, probably adding a Tony nomination to his list of accolades anytime soon. His McNeal is sarcastic, direct, and unapologetic, with a dash of not so subtle misogyny that makes him an ambiguous character. The highlight of his performance includes several intense confrontations as well as sequences full of drunken stupor. If this is his Broadway debut, then this is definitely a job well done.

As for the storyline, much has already been said when it comes to AI usurping our role in the creation of art. One school of thought proposes that art is the manifestation of the human soul, an intangibly abstract concept that AI does not possess. This is perhaps the reason why most AI-created visual art are aesthetically pleasing alright, but tends to be flat and lacking in depth. McNeal tackles this but in terms of literature, what with ChatGPT serving a big role in written tasks nowadays. In a world where almost everything ought to be automated, can we go on expecting literature to deliver a genuine rendition of the human condition?

McNeal zeroes in on that aspect, with the protagonist being able to write an entire novel just by keying in various authors and works mashed up by technology and rendered in his own style of storytelling. But then again, in the end, the perspective on death that he so craves remains unwritten, giving him an unsatisfying ending to his narrative. The involvement of AI offers many layers as to how to analyze this story. Was this play itself written by AI instead of actual playwrights? Probably not, but it makes you doubt its authenticity anyway. In thinking of it like that, the play accomplishes its purpose.

As for production design, the Vivian Beaumont theater is as modern as it can be, with stadium-like seating and a stage dominated by moving panels. The first act is restricted to the rectangular part of the platform jutting out to the audience, creating a claustrophobic effect. A rising panel allows quick changes in setting. The moving wall panels hide a much bigger stage at the back, which is utilized for outdoor scenes benefiting from the luxury of more space. Did I mention that huge movable set depicting McNeal’s wooden cabin? It is fascinating to witness this evolution in set design and the convenience it can offer to the production.

FINAL VERDICT. Will you enjoy McNeal? If you love plays that lean more on the philosophical side of things via kilometric monologues and lots of talk, then you will find this play amusing. Even if you have a short attention span, there are enough distractions via the projected visuals that maximize the utility of those giant wall panels, providing a picture of AI that is as daunting as it is fascinating. If such kinds of visuals are not distracting enough for you, rest assured that there is enough humor in the characters’ banters to still guarantee an enjoyable viewing experience.