IS THIS A ROOM: An Unforgettable Interrogation

From left to right, Rasell Holt as Special Agent R. Wallace Taylor, Jonathan Wainwright as Special Agent Justin C. Garrick, and Isabelle Muthiah as Reality Leigh Winner in Is This a Room at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Photo credit: Michael Brosilow.

A review of Is This a Room

by Ellie Wilhelm, age 15

Is This a Room, a play originally conceived by Tina Satter and directed by Brent Hazelton, was put on March 20 through April 5 by the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. This play was something I have never experienced before: it was a reenactment of an FBI interrogation transcript. The play follows a US air force veteran, Reality Winner, and the interrogation she experienced after leaking an NSA report proving Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election. This play truly brought me to the edge of my seat; its unique structure made me feel like I actually experienced the real interrogation. The play’s use of lighting, audio, and realistic acting contributed to the show’s high-quality feel.

Firstly, the use of audio and visuals of Is This a Room is phenomenal. The sound design, created by Josh Schmidt, was one of the main factors that made this play so unique! There was rarely a silent moment, as different sounds like crickets, camera clicks, and sounds of construction were often playing in the background. The visuals created by the lighting, designed by Jason Fassl, complemented the audio as well. The lighting that was used signaled to the audience where the scene took place, which was helpful as there was almost no set. The lights were a lot warmer and more natural when outdoors, and had a cooler tone when indoors. The audio assisted these cues as there were more noises when outside. Without a doubt, one of the most unique parts of the play was the redacted parts. In the original interrogation transcript the play reenacted, some information was redacted and could not be read. In the play, the audience could clearly track when one of those sections occurred, as a censor sound played along with the lights going red, and on either side of the stage, projectors said “REDACTED.” I found this to be quite a creative touch and it really helped me follow along with the play and better understand what was happening.

In addition, the acting in the play was fantastic. Tina Satter, who originally conceived and directed the show, created Is This a Room in a very unique way. Every line–from the coughs to the half-spoken words and interrupting–was real and from the original interrogation. Undoubtedly this writing style makes acting out a play much more difficult. On top of this, the fact that there were only four actors only added to the difficulty. However, the actors–Isabelle Muthiah, Mark Corkins, Rasell Holt, and Jonathan Wainwright–took on the challenge perfectly and brought phenomenal performances to the stage. Each and every one of them delivered their lines in such a way that felt so real, and I truly felt like I was witnessing the actual interrogation of Reality Winner.

The director, Brent Hazelton, also added to this immersive experience by splitting the audience into two sides of the stage. This created a very natural effect where the actors were not always facing you, but this only added to the style of the play and further created an illusion of experiencing the real interrogation. Seeing the audience’s reaction from the other side of the stage was really interesting and encapsulated me further.

If it is not clear by now, Is This a Room was a unique and immersive experience. I never even knew that there was a play like this out there, but I am so glad I was able to experience it! Every single person on the team that made this show happen did a fantastic job at making it such an interesting play to watch. Although this show may have come to an end, the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre has many amazing shows coming up that you will not want to miss!

Full designer credits: directed by Brent Hazelton; designed and created by Stephanie K. Brownell, KaiLee Evans, Jason Fassl, Adam Hastings, Bri Humke, Amaya Rockett, Josh Schmidt, and Emily Marie Wilke.