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Highlights from the reviews: “My personal favorite was John Peña Griswold's Settings: a dialogue, set in the metaverse, between a gamer and his AI in-game guide (a timely piece for reasons so obvious they don't bear mentioning). Initially dismissing her as "just the settings menu," the player eventually comes to sympathize with her plight as an intelligent being controlled by the game's developers and seen as less-than-human by its players. But far from being a tragedy about the effects of dehumanizing AI or another Frankenstein incarnation, as most stories about AI are, it's a delightful comedy, played with perfect comedic timing by Chase Naylor and Maya Rosewood (Associate Artistic Director Jennifer Downes directs).” — Stage Buddy

“Settings, from John Peña Griswold and directed by New Ambassadors Associate Artistic Director Jennifer Downes, places its characters into the sort of situation that Rennie or his patrons would likely appreciate. Zade, played with borderline bro-ish charm by Chase Naylor, is experiencing the metaverse beta that he has paid for access to for the first time. In this virtual space, fittingly represented by an entirely bare stage (adornments, of course, must be purchased separately), Zade encounters Alex (Maya Rosewood), an A.I. host. Alex is eager to please not only because of programming but in order to stave off loneliness (required declarations of Alex's happiness notwithstanding)–disconnections from the metaverse by Zade, who is more interested in shooting some zombies, are effectively signaled by sudden and total darkness. Can Alex, both funny and poignant in Rosewood's hands, challenge Zade's perception of them as an object, and what about that pending update? Settings asks not only how we approach the Other but also what could be more human than the limitations of time (here limited even further by the profit motive).” — Thinking Theatre NYC

The award-winning, internationally-screened short dark comedy It's Time for Tea is now available online!