Death By PowerPoint

It seems like everyday someone posts a new TED talk or motivational speech on Facebook. James Robinson has taken this trend of “this speech will change your life” and made an engaging satire on how we convince ourselves and others to lead better lives. First up is Lucy (Scarlet Bermingham) who tells us bullshit ourselves and just tell ourselves that we’re “freakin’ awesome.” Next is Mark (Eric Pierce) who says the secret to happiness is to be like sheep and to look at pictures of pugs. Third up is Joan (Emily Thomas) who says thanks to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups there’s no such thing as free will. And lastly is Matthew who argues the way to move forward is sideways using a story of how he lost his virginity as an example. There are a few ... full review

***This Review first appeared on Stage Raw.*** There are no actual deaths in this sly and clever satire by playwright-director James F. Robinson, but one character experiences near-death.Four motivational speakers are finalists in the National Global Influencers contest. Lucy (Scarlet Bermingham) begins by telling us they’re here to destroy all our most cherished beliefs. She tells us the secret of success is to ignore depressing facts and to practice self-delusion: Just tell yourself, “You are freakin’ Awesome.” Mark (Eric Pierce) assures us that the way to achieve the Inevitability of Cosmic Bliss is to concentrate on the pushed-in face of an endearing pug-dog. Joan (Emilly Thomas) is so distracted by her chocolate addiction that she l... full review