←Recommendations of reANIMA

This is what to expect from Aly Kantor. Beautiful work. She brings wonder, and angst, and hope to a scenario that’s maybe just around the corner for humanity? Technical musings on the future of consciousness and yet the story centers on the most human elements of self in a relationship. Interesting, thoughtful and engaging story-telling. I love this piece.

Aly Kantor reaches for and attains something of the metaphysical in her work and brings us skillfully along for the ride. "Having a body sucks. It sucks." Every time I read one of her works, I find myself in it somehow. And audience's will too.

03.13.25 - A superbly touching look at identity and the concept of "the ghost in the machine." Aly Kantor gives us two wonderful characters trying to find out if their old dynamic can still be viable after Cricket's transformation. Is she still Cricket, or just a vessel for a memory of her? This is weighty subject matter for a short play, but Kantor handles the treading of this new ground deftly and with charm. Just terrific writing.

Whoa, Aly Kantor takes AI to places I hadn't even thought about and manages a whole emotional journey in only 17 pages which both takes you by surprise and feel entirely inevitable. So much is said so well in this short, creative piece about what makes us 'us.' This play is simultaneously completely unique and completely relatable. I love it!

No matter what the future brings in terms of AI and humanoid robots, there will always be something remaining in the world that is uniquely human. Aly Kantor captures that unique essence beautifully with humor and emotional depth. Displaying both the frightening and hopeful aspects of this new technology in such a short time frame is quite a feat. But Kantor’s skill as a storyteller is never to be doubted.

I was ready for the quirky concept to be enjoyable, and it was, but Dear Reader, I was not ready for the depth of the emotion that would be found as the play unfolded. A warm and tender exploration of what it means to be "human" in this increasingly cold and technological age. "Play something... hopeful..." one of the characters utters towards the end of the play; this was indeed the playing of something hopeful as I read the script and viewed a performance of it. Wonderful!

Aly Kantor is an amazing writer and I've enjoyed reading Aly's shows over and over again. reANIMA is incredible. There's so much drama and love and nuance in this short script that keeps you engaged. The complexity of the characters, the arc, and the tension gets you through the story without feeling like a story. You know it's a great show when you get to the end and you want to see what tomorrow for these characters will look like and the day after that. Amazing show.

This sci-fi one act is absolutely beautiful. It really dives into the "mechanics" of what makes someone "human" and what can make you love another human. It's easy to say you love a person for who they are, not what they look like, but the darkest corners of our minds will always wonder what if? This is so deep and lovely. Cricket's final moment of gifting life to the plant is just soul feeding!

If your consciousness wasn't in your body, if it was in a different body, if it was in a box on the wall...are you still you? What makes us us? Surely our thoughts, yes? Not our, as Kantor puts it, "meat vessels."

The hard sci-fi of "reANIMA" creeps up on you, before slowly enveloping each and every one of your nerve endings (a lot). It's a beautiful piece (and concept) layered amongst an irrevocably human scene. Classic Kantor, really, and if you're looking for a special one-act, look no further.