Milwaukee Repertory Theater launched its newly renovated Herro-Franke Studio Theater this week with the Midwest premiere of Ayad Akhtar’s “McNeal,” a provocative drama exploring the intersection of art, authorship, and artificial intelligence. The play, which ran on Broadway with Robert Downey Jr. In the lead role, opened to a near-capacity audience on February 13th, with only a minor technical glitch quickly resolved by the production team.
“McNeal” centers on Jacob McNeal, a celebrated novelist grappling with writer’s block, declining health, and fractured relationships. As portrayed by Peter Bradbury, McNeal turns to ChatGPT as a tool to complete his next book, raising questions about the nature of originality and the role of technology in creative expression. The play’s staging, designed by Emily Lotz with video designs by Timothy Kelly and lighting by Jason Fassl, visually represents the interaction between McNeal and the AI, projecting prompts and responses onto the set.
Akhtar, a Brookfield Central High School graduate and Pulitzer Prize winner for his play “Disgraced,” presents a complex character in McNeal – a figure reminiscent of Norman Mailer, described as arrogant and competitive, yet deeply invested in literature. The playwright’s dialogue is noted for its sharpness and literary allusions, though a background in English is not required to follow the narrative. The play also delves into themes of plagiarism, as McNeal has appropriated a manuscript from a relative, leading to conflict with his son, played by Ty Fanning.
The production utilizes the Herro-Franke Studio Theater’s flexible design, with a revolving set and dynamic projections to transition between scenes, including a doctor’s office, a publisher’s office, and a park. This staging choice, according to reviewers, allows the audience to focus on the characters and their interactions. The play’s exploration of AI echoes themes found in Isaac Asimov’s “The Bicentennial Man,” questioning what fundamentally distinguishes human creativity from advanced machine learning, particularly in the face of mortality.
McNeal’s interactions with ChatGPT evolve throughout the play, as he learns to refine his prompts and leverage the AI’s capabilities. He experiments with feeding the program classic texts – Shakespeare, Ibsen, Kafka – and requesting output “in the style of Jacob McNeal,” a process described as “vibe coding.” The play also features N’Jameh Camara as a New York Times reporter interviewing McNeal, a dynamic that casts doubt on the reliability of celebrity profiles. Jeannie Paulsen portrays McNeal’s agent, and Jessica Ko plays his concerned doctor, both offering advice he largely ignores.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater will continue performances of “McNeal” through March 22nd at the Herro-Franke Studio Theater, located at 108 E. Wells St. Tickets are available at milwaukeerep.com or by calling (414) 224-9490.