“Lunar Revolution 2.0” exhibits the angst people feel in the face of technology.

“Lunar Revolution 2.0” was brilliantly directed by William Fisher and beautifully devised by the Butler theatre department.

Audience seating was set up on all four sides of the “Black Box” theatre, Lilly Hall 168, giving the audience a well-rounded perspective of the play. This also gave actors the freedom to face all angles of the stage.

The stage was set up to resemble the moon’s surface and NASA’s control center during the first American moon landing.

Everything—from the use of space, technology and music to the costumes and acting—helped make the show creative and interesting.

The play is comprised of several different scenes, using text from Albert Giraud’s “Pierrot Lunaire,” the Greek myth of Selene, the Apollo program and more.

This conglomeration of texts and different ideas encompasses the magic and fear the moon has evoked in people in the past, present and future.

The production’s title was cleverly chosen. “Lunar” has to do with the moon, but “Revolution” could imply one or both of two meanings:  an uprising or a rotation about an axis.

The first idea ties into the theme of Butler’s first ArtsFest—of which this performance is part— and the other ties into the the simplicity yet complexity of nature.

The costumes were comprised of styles from different periods, but all were black, white or gray, giving the stage an eerie look.

Along with dialogue, monologue and movement, the actors sang, danced and played instruments, displaying the Butler theatre department’s overall talent and versatility.

The play opened with people hurriedly walking around the stage.

This scene was repeated throughout the play, though a little differently every time.

One scene like this was repeated four times in a row, with people checking their watches and running around, getting to where they needed to be. This continued until a beanbag fell from the ceiling, interrupting their mundane routine and upsetting the actors.

Another scene toward the end had the actors hurrying around with their eyes glued to smartphones.

These scenes depict the almost robotic figures into which technology has turned human beings.

Each actor had nearly equal stage time, not putting the spotlight on one particular character.

The lighting, especially at scene changes, was very impressive. The transitions were almost flawless.

Though “Lunar Revolution 2.0” was not a typical play, I would highly recommend it to the Butler community.

The theatre department is full of talented individuals who are able to perform in a variety of different ways and who manage to put on experimental plays like “Lunar” successfully.