Play Review Dead Mans Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl

Two important themes arise in Sarah Ruhls Dead Mans Cell Phone  and it is a thought-provoking  play that may lead viewers to question their own reliance on technology. Phones have become an integral part of modern society and we live in an age with these seemingly magical devices that promise constant connection yet leave many of us feeling stranded. Beyond the role of technology in our lives, this play also reminds us about the fortunes to be made with the often illegal sale of human organs. Though a secondary theme, it is one that cannot be overlooked because it profoundly affects the main character in this Hitchcock-style production. First Productions Sarah Ruhls Dead Mans Cell Phone was first performed in June 2007 by the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. In March 2008 it premiered both in New York via Playwrights Horizons and Chicago via Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The Basic Plot Jean (unmarried, no children, approaching 40, an employee at the Holocaust museum) is innocently sitting at a cafe when a mans cellphone rings. And rings. And keeps on ringing. The man doesnt answer because, as the title suggests, hes dead. Jean, however, does pick up, and when she discovers that the cellphone owner has quietly died in the cafe. She not only dials 911, but she also keeps his phone in order to keep him alive in a strange yet significant way. She takes messages from the dead mans business associates, friends, family members, even his mistress. Things get even more complicated when Jean goes to the funeral of Gordon (the dead guy), pretending to be a former co-worker. Wanting to bring closure and a sense of fulfillment to others, Jean creates confabulations (Id call them lies) about Gordons last moments. The more we learn about Gordon the more we realize he was a terrible person who loved himself far more than anyone else in his life. However, Jeans imaginative reinvention of his character brings peace to Gordons family. The play takes its most bizarre turn when Jean discovers the truth about Gordons career: he was a broker for the  illegal sale of human organs. At this point, a typical character would probably back off and say, Im way over my head. But Jean, bless her eccentric heart, is far from typical, and so she flies to South Africa in order to donate her kidney as a sacrifice for Gordons sins. My Expectations Normally, when Im writing about the characters and themes of a play, I leave my personal expectations out of the equation. However, in this case, I should address my bias because it will have an impact on the rest of this analysis. Here goes: There are a handful of plays that, before I read or watch them, I make certain not to learn anything about them. August: Osage County was one example. I purposely avoided reading any reviews because I wanted to experience it on my own. The same held true for Dead Mans Cell Phone. All I knew about it was the basic premise. What an awesome idea! It had been on my list 2008, and this month I finally got to experience it. I have to admit, I was disappointed. The surrealistic goofiness doesnt work for me the way it works in Paula Vogels The Baltimore Waltz. As an audience member, I want to witness realistic characters in bizarre situations, or at the very least bizarre characters in realistic situations. Instead, Dead Mans Cell Phone offers a strange, Hitchcockian premise and then populates the storyline with silly characters who occasionally say smart things about modern society. But the sillier things get, the less I want to listen to them. In surrealism (or quirky farces), readers shouldnt expect believable characters; generally, the avant-garde is about the mood, the visuals, and the symbolic messages. Im all for that, dont get me wrong. Unfortunately, I had constructed these unfair expectations that didnt match the play Sarah Ruhl had created. (So now I should just shut up and watch North by Northwest  again.) Themes of Dead Mans Cell Phone Misguided expectations aside, theres much to discuss in Ruhls play. The themes of this comedy explore Americas post-millennial fixation with wireless communication. Gordons funeral service is interrupted twice by ringing cell phones. Gordons mother bitterly observes, Youll never walk alone. Thats right. Because youll always have a machine in your pants that might ring. The majority of us are so anxious to pick up as soon as our BlackBerry vibrates or a funky ringtone erupts from our iPhone. Are we craving a specific message? Why are we so inclined to interrupt our daily lives, maybe even thwart an actual conversation in real time in order to satisfy our curiosity about that next text message? During one of the cleverest moments in the play, Jean and Dwight (Gordons nice-guy brother) are falling for each other. However, their blossoming romance is in jeopardy because Jean cannot stop answering the dead mans cell phone. The Body Brokers Now that I have experienced the play first hand, Ive been reading the many positive reviews. Ive noticed that all of the critics laud the obvious themes about the need to connect in a technology-obsessed world. However, not too many reviews have paid sufficient attention to the most disturbing element of the storyline: the open market (and often illegal) trade of human remains and organs. In her acknowledgments, Ruhl thanks Annie Cheney for writing her investigative expose book, Body Brokers. This non-fictional book offers a disturbing look at a profitable and morally reprehensible underworld. Ruhls character Gordon is part of that underworld. We learn that he made a fortune by finding people willing to sell a kidney for $5000, while he obtained fees of over $100,000. He is also involved with organ sales from recently executed Chinese prisoners. And to make Gordons character even more loathsome, hes not even an organ donor! As if to balance Gordons selfishness with her altruism, Jean presents herself as a sacrifice, stating that: In our country, we can only give our organs away for love. She is willing to risk her life and give up a kidney so that she can reverse Gordons negative energy with her positive outlook on humanity. Review Originally Published: May 21, 2012