←Recommendations of Perfect

Weaving together the forces of science and the most basic human need to be loved, Perfect is heartbreaking, funny and a full out challenge to look at what makes us who we are. Three story lines jump time and space, all dealing CRISPR genetics: young parents driven to create the perfect child; a trans-dressing athlete defying his parents dream of a superstar son; a brilliant and driven mother and son team of PhD scientists working on CRISPR - he from a wheelchair with boundless dreams, she from the corner of a a life hard lived. A beautiful, timely, human play.

Though this play centers on near-future scientific break-throughs, it's totally accessible to the non-science person. That's because the characters display the timeless human emotions to which we all relate, just experienced in a world where designing the attributes of one's future child is a possibility. The questions it compellingly asks couldn't be more relevant in today's world, and I followed the intertwining stories with interest as the characters grappled with what such scientific sleight-of-hand meant to them - their hopes, their fears, their senses of right and wrong. An enormously thought-provoking play.

It's really hard to write a play about scientific and societal concepts in a way that is dramatically interesting. Yet Jonathan Luskin succeeds with his gripping play PERFECT. The three compelling, interlinked stories in the play use the backdrop of gene editing technologies to explore what it means to be human as we ease into a complicated near-future. Our society's very recognizable characteristics of deep parental anxiety, hyper-competitiveness, and, of course, capitalism all influence the choices these characters make. This play left my mind buzzing with questions about where CRISPR will lead us.

PERFECT, a deep dive into the near-future of gene editing, vibrates with desire. The stories of three families unfold with humor and feeling as we watch parental dreams transform into children's nightmares. And kids' aspirations break -- and, sometimes, heal -- their parents' hearts. In this PERFECT world, even the artificial intelligence wants more.

Perfect is a hilarious and dynamic exploration of what it means to be a human, now and into the future. It follows three storylines in three timelines that weave through the a world greatly affected by CRISPR technology and social media and venture capitalism, creating an environment both terrifying and absurd. The characters are fun, the dialogue is witty and the themes are incredibly relevant to the here and now.

This is a fascinating smart look at the problematic intersection of Scientific Advancement, Capitalism and Human Nature. Sliding between three interwoven story arcs, characters race to realize their individual dreams of perfection through DNA modification, raising ethical questions and leading to surprising outcomes. Jonathan grounds the drama in cutting edge science and keeps the audience on the edge of its seat as the characters drive Ahab-like toward catastrophy. One of the most exciting characters in the story is an heroic wheelchair-using scientist, Garry, who makes his first entrance breaking a glass ceiling and repelling into a laboratory.

This play provides what many theatre directors are looking for right now—a play that matters. Perfect explores an issue that has meaning for all of us and asks important questions. Is it possible to use genetic engineering in humane ways? How far can it take us and is it safe and morally acceptable to go there? Serious as that sounds, Perfect is perfectly entertaining with lively, smart dialog from unique characters. Filled with dramatically entertaining and often humorous scenes, this is a play I couldn’t put down until I knew how it all comes out in the end.

A very funny play with a relevant science theme, Perfect perfectly explores disability, parenting, social media and social pressure to be perfect in a delightful, non-preachy way. I'm thrilled to present a reading of this play and to recommend it for full production.