Running from last Wednesday until Sunday, Dead Man’s Cell Phone was the most recent play production put on by the SMSU Theatre Department. The play was written by Sarah Ruhl, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, produced by Samuel French, and directed by Jennifer Goff.

Jean, a nearly forty-year-old woman spends an afternoon at a café only to find the man next to her is dead, his phone the only thing keeping him “alive.” After calling the police, she decides to keep the cell phone, as it gets bombarded with calls from Gordon’s family, friends, and business associates. She tells each person something they may have wanted to hear about their relationship with Gordon as a way of closure. As the play goes on, Jean gets herself in tight situations due to the lies she tells and after finding more about Gordon’s true identity—as an organ harvester for the black market.

Dead Man’s Cell Phone was a dark, yet comical take on the world of technology that surrounds society today. The production managed to tackle the serious topics of death, mourning, and illegal behaviors while remaining humorous enough to keep the audience chuckling throughout much of the play.

The cast conveyed the characters charismatically the entire time. Each character had his or her own unique personality, which made the play memorable. From the quiet yet strong Jean (Payton Shively), to the arrogant, enigmatic Gordon (Joshua R. Johnson), the cast was sure to please any audience member.

Overall, the play was a refreshing mix of comical yet meaningful and important situations. The focus on technology was a great addition to modernize the production and keep the audience’s attention while teaching an important lesson—that technology isn’t everything to our lives.