Kansas City Actors Theatre tackles cloning in thoughtful one-act ‘A Number’

What would your reaction be if you discovered the existence of clones who look and talk just like you?

Conversely, what if you were a parent who could clone his children in an effort to “get it right” and avoid repeating mistakes?

Those questions are at the heart of “A Number,” Caryl Churchill’s 2002 psychic drama that unfolds in a plausible science-fiction premise. This quick one-act in five scenes portrays Salter, a man trying to explain to three of his sons — an original and two clones — how this cloning thing got out of hand.

The sons, portrayed with remarkable flexibility by Matthew Joseph Schmidli, are by turns frightened, angry and happy. As the play opens, the first son, Bernard No. 1, confronts Salter after learning that he has cloned siblings, perhaps as many as 19. He poses some awkward questions. How can he know that he truly is the “original” when he could as easily be one of the clones?

Later Salter is visited by Bernard No. 2, who is angry and confrontational and threatens to find Bernard No. 1 and kill him. Ultimately Salter pays a visit to a third son, Michael, who leads a contented life and is unconcerned that any number of more-or-less identical versions of him may be living on the planet.

Churchill’s dialogue tumbles forth in start-and-stop fractured language, consisting of incomplete thoughts and frequent interruptions. Johnson and Schmidli handle the words with impressive clarity.

Tim Rothwell’s scenic design consists of a few realistic pieces — chairs, tables — against a black background with reflective panels suspended over the stage. The design is simple but thoughtful. Helping to delineate characters and scenes, Shane Rowse’s lighting is subtle and effective. Shannon Smith-Regnier’s costumes help us identify the two Bernards and Michael through clothing choices.

The play is a bit chilly and cerebral but raises ethical questions that have no particularly easy answers. The actors depict the arguments and counter-arguments clearly. Johnson captures Salter’s conflicted, increasingly desperate feelings about his actions in a performance that sticks with you.

But the most memorable aspect of this production is Schmidli and his ability to slip in and out of three versions of personalities who look the same but are not.

This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Kansas City Actors Theatre tackles cloning in thoughtful one-act ‘A Number’."