Anti-AI Musical ‘In Corpo’ is a Perfectly Timed Delight
Plus - brief thoughts on ‘Illinois’ at the Fisher Center
First off: a group of smart, talented folks have launched an exciting new initiative, Staff Picks, which aims to highlight short theatrical runs that often struggle to gain coverage. You should check it out, and support them.
The idea is clearly much-needed, since here I am finally writing something about the new musical In Corpo, a show which closes tomorrow. You should see it. It’s great. It closes tomorrow.
In Corpo traces an employee uprising at the last corporation on Earth. In an apocalyptic future, Corpo employees plug away at endless busywork in secluded pods, commanded by superiors they’ve never met and a faux-friendly computer system. But when an outsider breaks in and starts questioning things, revolt soon takes hold.
The smartest element of In Corpo is its ensemble focus. While there are echoes of Terry Gilliam’s Brazil in Nic Benacerraf’s overwhelming design and Kate Fry’s vibrant costumes, this isn’t another story of one individual breaking free from a system — it is, rather, a tale of collective escape. That approach proves a good fit for a musical, allowing for a thrilling mix of solos and group numbers in Ben Beckley and Nate Weida’s buoyant electronic score.
Each worker is fully rounded and gets a clear arc. Even the conformist of the group, Bendemann (RJ Christian), feels just as reltable in his fear of change as the workers seeking to break free. Also a standout is Austin Owens Kelly as Bartleby, an initially silent figure who eventually coins the show’s trademark line of revolt (borrowed from Melville): “I would prefer not to.”
The jaunty electronic score contrasts smartly with the bleak setting, and the book is filled with welcome humor. Sometimes Beckley and Weida bite off more than it can chew — the mechanics of an intraoffice telecom, which connects all the workers minds, was never fully clear to me.
But in a moment of overwhelming, near-identical social media options and the increasing dominance of artificial intelligence, In Corpo is perfectly timed: a musical that understands technology’s wonders alongside its limits, and prizes human connection above all else.
The Fisher Center run of Illinois was not open for review. But, some brief thoughts on the experience of driving up to Bard College to see this beautifully realized dance piece, based upon Sufjan Steven’s masterful album.
I attended Bard and love showing off the campus to friends, as I did this time with my roommate, a big Sufjan fan, and his girlfriend. Seeing Illinois was, mostly, an excuse to visit this place of great comfort.
So I scarcely anticipated finding myself so transported by this piece. Jackie Sibblies Drury’s book (mostly vibes-based, given the lack of dialogue) elegantly frames Stevens’ album as stories shared around a campfire by a group of hikers. Justin Peck’s gentle movement conjures each tale — recollections of loss, grief and love — as equal parts painful and glorious.
Seeing this piece at my alma mater, I was immediately flooded with fragmented memories of my college life: tearful failures, glorious connections, messy nights that seemed to stretch on forever. I cried within ten minutes, which feels so quick that I wonder how much the show even had to do with it.
So I don’t know if I can really give a clear-eyed critical perspective on this piece, given that context. But as it journeys on, I think Illinois will conjure something similar for others: the unlocking of a deep well of memory, of long lost nights that you forgot you’d forced yourself to forget.