There's an App 4 That

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Nikki McIntosh

Cast members rehearse for "There's an App 4 That."

Cast members rehearse for "There's an App 4 That," a World Premiere Wisconsin production by Pile of Cats.

Pile of Cats Theatre Company opts for satire as its part of the ongoing rollout of premieres for World Premiere Wisconsin. In this contemporary comedy, apps meant to solve problems start making new ones. Relatable. Read Michael Bruno's introduction to the troupe here. There's an App 4 That shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sunday.

media release: Pile of Cats Theatre Company, Madison’s continuing source of contemporary comic plays, will present its fifth production, THERE’S AN APP 4 THAT, at the Bartell Theatre’s Evjue Stage, May 19-27. This satire of  compartmentalized 2020’s life is performed as part of World Premiere Wisconsin, the statewide festival of new theatrical works.

The play is a romantic comedy, a mystery, and a satirical examination of isolation and workplace intrigue.  It takes place in the near future and centers on Didi, an anxiety-driven millennial who regularly turns to her steady friend Zev, an app designer on leave because his cat was traumatized by an apartment fire, for solutions to every day complications, like what to make for dinner, how to gain respect for their pronouns, and how to learn ballroom dancing without attending all the classes.  As the apps Zev recommends begin to conflict with each other, Didi must come to grips with her frustrating sometimes roommate/sometimes lover Beck, her cute but clueless co-worker Rod, and the manipulative developer and corporate cog Mariah.

No stranger to producing original material, Pile of Cats founder Ned O’Reilly has staged 16 shows over the last decade in the Madison area, nearly all of them self-written.  THERE’S AN APP 4 THAT is stage managed by the stalwart Jason Summerlott, and features the acting talents of Jesse Harrison, Mitch Taylor, Lennox Forrester, Caroline Whelan, Matt Reines, and Joe Harrison, with understudies QJ Dougall and Brent Freeman.

Pile of Cats usually performs at The Crucible or the Brink Lounge and usually presents evenings of shorts.  This time, they’re stepping up to the more visible and renowned Bartell Theatre with this full-length play.  Tickets are $25 ($20 for seniors) and available through the Bartell box office and at their website.