"The Gedanken Experiment"

What would you do if you were given a second chance at life? If you had the green light to reevaluate how you've been living and review the people you've come into contact with and impacted, would you take it? "The Gedanken Experiment" is a theatrical version of the lifelong questions we often ask and eventually use to evaluate ourselves as people, good or bad.

   "The Gedanken Experiment" is a must-see play for anyone who enjoys a puzzle plot that slowly unravels itself over the course of the production. Prior to seeing the play I wasn't really sure what to expect, especially with the word experiment in it. However, I was very excited to see what the play would be about.

   "Gedanken" is derived from the German word "gedanke" (thought), therefore making Rand Ringgenberg's "The Gedanken Experiment" mean "the thought process." The play had a reading in 2008 at the University of Texas-Arlington in a new works festival, and also recently had a reading at NEIU's Stage Center Theatre.

 In the theater world, a reading is used during the editing stage of a play in order for the playwright to see how the actors portray the characters' lines and feelings, as well as the audience's response to the play itself.; Based on the feedback from the actors and audience, the playwright may or may not go back and revise the play. In a reading, there are normally no costumes for the characters, no props or stage directions—it is purely to see how well a play can stand on its own without being a full production.

   Although "The Gedanken Experiment" was only a reading, I could definitely feel and understand each character's personality, which can be a bit challenging without props or costumes. Even though "The Gedanken Experiment" had a serious plot, it still had some good laugh lines that lightened up the audience's mood.

   The only thing that bothered me was the placement of the narrator within the half circle of actors. The narrator stood just shy of the middle of the ensemble, so after some dialogue I was expecting the narrator to be another character in the play. I eventually figured out the narrator wasn't a character in the play, but still felt like the narrator's placement was a little awkward and confusing.

   After "The Gedanken Experiment" was over, I sat in my seat feeling satisfied that every question I had while watching the play was answered by the end. If I were the producer, I would give "The Gedanken Experiment" the green light. I can imagine what a full production of this play would look like, and I thrill to think of how much more full costumes and props would add to the play as a whole.