“Hello, My Name Is…”

When one is feeling confused or scared, it’s human nature to try to find somebody who knows more and be guided by their knowledge. This is great when A) said person actually does know more about that subject and B) said person is not using that knowledge to manipulate his or her followers. In this world, sadly, often neither A nor B is true, but people are tricked by these charlatans anyway, usually to their great detriment. It happens in personal relationships, business, religions and governments, and we all suffer as a result. Amy Dellagiarino’s play, Hello, My Name Is…, is about life-damaged people seeking enlightenment in a cult and discovering truths they don’t want to know. The subject is dark, but the play is actually a very funny comedy, and the world premiere production by Moving Arts Theater features sharp, hilarious performances from its talented ensemble.

It’s a very special day for the members of the Order of the Twelfth and Final Sun. Cult leader J (Juan Monsalvez) has assured his followers that today is the day of the “Great Metamorphosis” when they will transform into the ideal version of themselves, the day that everything changes. Roommates Kiki (Roni Paige) and her mentor, Reagan (Rebecca Larsen), are attempting to concentrate on meditation, waiting to hear the chimes that will signal the transformative event. This would be easier if two guys from the next room over, Micah (Brandon Bales) and his stern mentor Chase (Bradley J. Bazile), didn’t keep popping in to argue and debate why the chimes are taking so long to sound. Eventually one of them gets impatient and tries to leave through the main door, only to discover that is locked from the outside. Alarmed, the followers find a way out of their room and realize that their current situation is far worse than they knew.

Paige is bluntly amusing as the slightly less gullible Kiki, who wants to know what happened to the previous eleven suns implied by the cult’s name. Larsen is an impressive model of exasperated calm as Reagan, trying to hold things together as the situation spins out of control. Bales is quite funny as the well-meaning if irritating Micah, and Bazile excels with a terrific comedic performance as the wannabe authoritarian-in-training Chase. Monsalvez succeeds in both being chilling and humorous in his portrayal of the manipulative J, constantly being deceptive but with a demeanor that feigns innocence and goodwill.

Director Darin Anthony gets strong performances from his cast, but the first third of the show drags a bit (this could be more of a writing issue than pacing). Scenic designer Justin Huen’s dormitory-esque set, emblazoned with inspirational banners on every wall, serves the material well, and Warren Davis’ sound design is on the mark, especially when the awaited chime finally arrives and is satisfying unsubtle. Dellagiarino’s writing is consistently funny (referring to Chase as an acquired taste, the response is, “That’s how you describe things that suck!”), but the plot gets so dark at one point that the story almost becomes horror. The playwright manages to keep things entertaining regardless, which is no small feat. However, without engaging in spoilers, there is one major plot point which is signalled to the audience long before the characters discover it, which is frustrating in a small way.

The subject matter of Hello, My Name Is… is partly about people trapped in their beliefs and how willing they are to endlessly delude themselves to avoid acknowledging they were wrong. It’s a smart, funny and well-acted production that is unfortunately extremely relevant to our current time.

Hello, My Name Is… is presented by and at Moving Arts Theater and plays through December 14. Tickets are available here.