Entertaining 'Button' questions responsibility

In Jon Brooks' intelligently written "The Button," now showing on the Bloomington Playwright's Project Timothy J. Wiles stage, the provocative power of a little red button becomes an item of mystery and intrigue in the final mainstage BPP play of the season.\nThe play is very entertaining, but at times Brooks' exuberance to captivate the audience overshadows the play's inherent message, which could have been shown stronger. \nIn the beginning of the play, the audience is introduced to Matthew Kirkham's character Joe, the new employee hired to press the button.\nJoe's highly peppy and eccentric boss DJ Glass was cleverly played by Lee Parker, who was able to maintain an exceptional level of energy throughout the show. The fantastical dialogue of Glass, paired with the creativity of Parker's delivery and willingness to be immodest, stole the show. \nAmanda Scherle, who played Kara, Joe's girlfriend, was crisp in the role of Kara. Unfortunately the character's terse dialogue left the role flat and did not allow Scherle to engage her full talent. \nRegardless of some shortcomings in the dialogue and character development, Brooks had a very solid idea for a play full of wit, which was entertainingly brought to life by talented guest director Jonathan Rest.\nAccording to the BPP's description of the play, "You press that little red button once a day, every day, and the paychecks keep rolling in. There's just one nagging question, which no one seems to be able to answer: exactly what does that little button do?"\nBrooks got the motivation to write the play while working as a file clerk in San Francisco at a prestigious bank's corporate offices. When he came across some paperwork which showed that the company behaved immorally in money lending practices, he contemplated quitting. He continued to work because he needed the money.\n"It was easy to justify staying by questioning what the resignation of a single file clerk would have on the policies of a multi-billion dollar institution," Brooks said. "But it got me thinking, if everyone just refused to take part on any level in something unethical or immoral, what would the world be like?"\nA discussion about the powers of authority, personal responsibility and the ensuing consequences triggered Brooks' idea for writing the play.\nEmily Lowder Wootten charmingly and demurely portrayed Joe's secretary. \n"The text presents us with this larger-than-life story that seems too crazy to believe, but the questions raised are quite pertinent," she said. "What are a person's limits? Just how far would you go for fortune and fame? If no one was looking, would you push the button?"\nThese questions undoubtedly ran through the minds of the audience members as they left this enjoyable and final show of the BPP season.