To See or Not to See: Incognito

Encoding. Storing, Retrieving. Those are three things the brain does; they are also the three parts of Nick Payne’s newest brilliant play, Incognito.

As with Payne‘s other work (namely the heartbreaking Constellations), Incognito is intricately woven and uses the minimal amount of set and people to maximum effect. The bare oval set is dotted with four chairs–one for each actor–and nothing else. Hence, the actors take center stage. Between four wonderful actors, there are 21 characters and three different plots. The genius of Incognito is how they all come together.

Obviously inspired by the brain itself, Incognito is also inspired by two true true stories. One is of pathologist Thomas Harvey (Morgan Spector) who performed the autopsy on Einstein’s body…and took his brain home to study. The other is of Henry (Charlie Cox), a man whose brain was studied for years. Henry’s sweet love story is bittersweet as you learn that he is an amnesiac due to a brain surgery to alleviate seizures; each time he is re-introduced to his wife (Heather Lind) is gut-wrenching. In addition to those plotlines, there is the story of Martha (Geneva Carr). Martha is a neuropsychologist specializing in memory loss; she has recently left her husband and adult son and come out as a lesbian. Needless to say, each story is chock-full of details, quick transitions, and additional characters that can leave you reeling if you are not paying attention.

Despite the confusion the mixture of plots may induce, it is also indicative of what the play is. The brain is a confusing organ. No one fully understands it. Are we made up of our memories? Do we really have control of ourselves and our brain? This multi-layered play mimics the layers of memory in the brain.

In order to make this whole thing work, these four actors are superb. Briskly transitioning between the three stories without blinking an eye would be tough for any actor. These actors also have to switch accents seamlessly–and do so with aplomb. There are times when they have to go from crying to happy in the time it takes you to snap your fingers. Needless to say, Cox, Lind, Spector, and Carr were all sensational.

Put your thinking caps on, engage your brain, and marvel at the mysterious inner workings of us all with Incognito.

*Manhattan Theater Club’s Incognito is running through June 26, 2016 at the City Center Stage I. 

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus