What I liked
Everything from the onboarding to your somewhat curt meeting with Dr. Malin to your introduction with Ellie eases you into the experience, and the Pod itself effectively makes you feel removed from the rest of the world. But the real star here is Ellie, as embodied by Katelyn Schiller. An artificial intelligence learning what it is to feel and come to care about someone, you might be surprised how much you come to care about her before the show is over. Also, make sure you scan that QR code on the program. Just sayin’…
What I didn't like
I’d love for it to be a little longer. I found the ending to be undeniably sad, but given a little more time with Ellie, I could imagine it would be even more powerful.
My overall impression
In just under 20 minutes, The Pod takes you to the stars, relying not on high-budget technical effects, but a believable premise and a wondrous performance by Katelyn Schiller. Easily among the best I’ve seen at Fringe this year. Pray for an extension…or maybe a continuation.
