The Nether at Kirk Douglas Theatre

A dark thought provoking production that kept me engaged throughout the entire show. I loved the concept of what is reality? What are the moral boundaries in a new reality? What influence does media have when it’s between two consenting adults? They used a very touchy subject and provoked my own belief in morality. I came away from the production questioning my own belief system and it helped heightened my self awareness. Any art form that can do that, be it film, painting, novel, or a play I have to give them a big thumbs up.
I would have stayed for the discussion panel if it wasn’t a weekday and I had to wake up early the next day.
Thanks Brittany B. for the great tickets and it was great to visit the Kirk Douglas Theatre. It was the last of the three CTG theaters that I have visited. The theater was intimate and the staff was courteous and easy going.

Thanks Brittany B. and the Kirk Douglas Theater; my date and I had a fabulous time.
Personally, I really enjoyed The Nether because it kept me entertained the whole 90 minutes. There wasn’t a time during the movie were I was counting the minutes until it ended.
Story
The story was surprising but yet not surprising. Think of surrogates with a dirty twist. Many writers write about the future but not many writers like to write about touchy subject matters which can cause discomfort to certain audience members; The Nether on the other hand does both. There were times throughout the play were I was cringing or had a questionable look on my face because I wasn’t sure how I felt or should react to certain scenes. Overall, I was interested verses turned off.
Recommendations
If you’e not open to art that conveys a message through the use and discussion of unusual topics and scenarios don’t attend this play because it may cause you to feel uneasy.
Tip
The stage is amazing :)

Took me a while to write this review because of the subject of the play which I kind of do not want to talk about. Lets just say its WorldOfWarcraft and or Second Life gone HAYWIRE. The subject is a really sensitive one and I don’t even know the play functions as a cautionary tale. Its complex.
The best play writes will challenge you. So this certainly fits the bill.
The place reminded me of a well seated off Broadway production with stadium style seating. no upstairs and downstairs just one main seating area. The stage was well build and did scene cuts previously only through about in movies. At times there was action on two stages.
This is the best play house I’ve been to in L.A.
I would come back in a second.
By the way I did use the Elite Tickets for this event. I just got there a little late. Thanks to Brittney for hooking it up.

What a lovely theatre! Restored in 2007, an old movie house transitioned into a first-​class, small, beautiful, and intimate playhouse with 300 seats. I look forward to returning here in the future. BUT…
You want a memorable experience? Come on down to see «The Nether»! Sure, it’s was well-acted…and the highlight for me was the stage design. However, the subject matter was uncomfortable… and NOT enjoyable for me to watch and listen to.
Do we want a world where everything goes without consequence? In Amsterdam, it’s one of the beautiful things that’s offered — freedom from law as long as you have two willing participants. Drugs. Prostitution. Whatever one wants. Well, what if it involves children? Pause. While the true intent of the play might be freedom of thought or expression without government, big brother, or monitoring — it may be quite a challenge when pressing the button of certain serious-​matter subjects, which Nether does.
I don’t want to reveal too much, because part of the story has a couple of big twists. The script has won several outstanding awards, and to be completely honest — I didn’t find it novel or interesting at all. It’s not «far out» as many reviews state — this «stuff» is already happening in both real life and in the underworld. I’m quite empathetic, and I took on all the emotion of it – leaving with a total ick feeling. Art in any form, if good — successfully makes you feel or emote — and in that respect, success… even if, in my case, wasn’t so positive. For that, I give the writing kudos.

Total mind trip. I was blown away, shocked, entertained, and yet slightly disgusted with this play. It’s definitely thought provoking and really evoked a lot of emotions all at once.
The play is masterfully written. The way that bits and pieces of information is slowly revealed to the audience really added a lot of emotional impact. I was so consumed in watching the story played out that I never realized that 90 minutes had passed.
They really made use of the set well and was able to convey the complicated story with the space they had. I have been to many plays but this one really blew my mind. It’s one of the best plays I’ve been to.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers because I highly recommend that you go see it for yourself. It’s definitely one of those plays that you shouldn’t miss. I will, however, say that the theme is very adult. The story is very dark and explores a lot of moral dilemmas. It’s definitely not for a younger audience.
My friend was too tired so we didn’t get to stay for the discussion afterwards but I would have loved to join. It would be interesting to find out what other people’s reactions are.

Im am like completely in AWE of this play!
Possibly one of the best pieces I’ve seen thus far and I’ve been on a play frenzy this year.
The stage is by far the coolest thing. Without giving too much away, its dynamic and surprising! ^_​^
The storyline cannot be mentioned to people who haven’t been to the play. You will come off as a creep. Seriously, tried to tell my sisters what it was about and was labeled a freak. SO yea keep it on the hush hush if you wanna keep good-​standing with your peers.
Overall it was enjoyable
HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend its like nothing you will ever see and nothing you’ve ever saw…
gaaaahhhh debating seeing it one more time just for its symbolism
Thanks Brittany B!
PS Stay for the organized discussion after, this is worth the chatter.

«Have you ever F#cked an elf!?»
Does that line make you feel uncomfortable? Well guess what, that’s just the tip of the ice berg!
First off, thank you to Brittany and the Kirk Douglas Theatre for providing me with the wonderful experience. When I first read the description of the play, I imagined a fantasy setting with orcs and dungeons, not a scifi noir set into a Midwestern simulation.
This play has an amazing scope, a police agent is tracking down a man who creates a server that allows users to have sex, kill, or do whatever they want to a little girl. Messed up? Very disturbing considering how the internet is starting to merge with the real world.
The acting was superb, the first 10 minutes was head scratching but the last 30 minutes blew by so fast! The play was 90 minutes with no intermission and you will be hooked until the very end!
The stage was unique because it’s a gigantic rotating set with 4 rooms. The lighting was eerie and I enjoyed the nostalgic melody that is used to offset the creepy moments of the play.
Furthermore, the Kirk Douglas had a Q and A session afterwards which allowed the audience to talk with the director.
This play is so unnerving and smart, I highly recommend it. If you like psychological thrillers like the usual suspect, fight club, and blade runner, you should go watch this play.

My 200^th review will be something that blew my mind and awaken my own sense of reality! Happy to be who I am and wish everyone to find their own self.
One word after the show: Whoaaaaaaaa
Watching Youtube and reading the synopsis of ‘The Nether’ still did not prepare me for this mind blowing play. First of all, I’m not a gal that goes to play often and most of us tend to fall asleep here and there. Right, right?!
There’s not one bad seat in the house; I sat in the very back row and I was able to see EVERYTHING. Tip: It’s better to see this play in the back = duo level.
The Nether is dark, provoking, touching, love, an exploration, sadness, and much more. It’ll touch your senses and awaken them in an amazing and disturbing way!
Spoiler Alert:
The Nether is about us replacing virtual reality with reality called the ‘Hideaway’. In this ‘Hideway’, you can become an avatar to make your darkest fantasy come true. The fantasy that The Nether portrayed is pedophilia, mayhem, and murder with lots of twist and turns. There’s only 5 actors/​actresses in The Nether, but the play was full of life and never a dull moment. I was hanging onto every scene!
You’ll find two sides by the end of the play. Was it right? Was it wrong? You’ll get to discuss it after the play with their 30 mins Q&A; I think I was still too stunned to ask any intellectual questions.
I would recommend anyone to see this play, especially anyone that plays virtual games! I don’t even play, but I can imagine how real this play can be… wow!
Thanks Unilocal (Brittany B) for giving us the opportunity to watch this enlightening play.

Creepy? YES
Uncomfortable? YES
Thought provoking? YES
Bizarre? YES
Out there? YES
Awesome? YES
Did I love it??? YES
Should we have stayed for the discussion after? YES
First words out of my mouth when it ended C.R.A.Z.Y!!!
THANK YOU so Much for the two tix Brittany B! You are the best!
This was my first time to the Kirk Douglas Theatre but I knew if they were part of CTG it would be great!
I loved the space, smallest of their 4 theaters –seating just 300 but doesn’t feel teeny tiny. This theatre is super cool.
I loved the rotating 360 set and the lighting was awesome. Our seats were great as the set was two tier and we had a clear view — straight on.
While I love the web for such reasons as Google, Unilocal,Pinterest and on-​line shopping — I had never really given much thought to the virtual world nor did I realize the extent to which some people may live their lives through it and in it — this was beyond wild to me!
I’m not sure I would recommend this play to just anyone but I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was an amazing piece of work.
Looking forward to catching another play here.
Free parking across the street at City Hall.

Mind-f&$@ed.
I loved it!
Which I is I?
I don’t know now… through the great acting that took me away into their world and minds and made me think.
Thanks Brittany B!
Kirk Douglas Theatre, you did it again. Great selection! My favorite LA theatre for sure.
Plus free parking literally across the street at City Hall (security patrol and everything) after 6pm (enter on Duquesne Avenue). Easy breezy.

I went into this having no idea what it was about but Brittany’s description had me intrigued enough to sign up («serpentine crime drama and haunting sci-​fi thriller that explores the darkest corners of imagination and the consequences of living out our most private dreams» to be exact). Plus, I had never been to the Kirk Douglas Theatre and thought this was a good occasion to check it out.
I loved the free parking at City Hall right across the street, and how easy it was to pick up tickets at the door right before going in. What a nice headache-​free, hassle-​free evening! Usually going to the theatre is a whole «thing» but this was simple and easy… I would definitely return here for a show. The theatre itself is smaller than the others I’ve been to for the Center Theater Group, which made it feel more intimate (a very appropriate setting for this particular show).
So, okay, wow. This was everything everyone else is saying. dark, twisty, creepy, uncomfortable, and just WEIRD. At the end I just felt disturbed and didn’t know what to think. But the more I think about it, the more I appreciate it. The fact that it was able to affect me in such a way says a lot about how powerful the show was, and how effective the performances. And the questions that it raises about the line between reality and virtual reality and your accountability in a semi-​anonymous setting like the Internet are really thought provoking.
Great evening, a show I probably wouldn’t have bought tickets for on my own but am really glad that I saw. Thanks, Brittany!!!