Shotgun Players’ “Continuity,” a comedy dressed in heavy gear by Bess Wohl onstage in Berkeley, takes place on a bed of ice in the New Mexico desert. The ice is actually Styrofoam; it’s part of a movie set for a group of filmmakers intent on addressing climate change.
If it sounds preachy, it isn’t, even though Pulitzer Prize-winner Wohl (for 2025’s “Liberation”) addresses issues beyond the environment to the very fate of the planet and the human race in this 2019 play. What keeps it just north of cliché is Wohl’s light hand and the first-rate cast directed by Emilie Whelan.
As the cameras roll, starring actress Nicole (Regina Morones) encounters eco-terrorist Jake (Nicholas René Rodriguez), who vows to set off a bomb that will create a destructive tsunami. As an aside, he shoots Lily, a young scientist (Ije Success) before she can utter a line.
The players repeat the scene again and again, and during breaks the actors get personal. They talk about the film, and also about sex, drugs, pregnancy, abortion, terminal illness. They have been involved with each other.
Maria, the director (Rezan Asfaw), keeps the action going while communicating with hapless screenwriter David (Benoît Monin), her ex. The crew (the hilarious Adam Mendez and Matt Standley) is also on hand, but the shoot doesn’t work. It’s not what the director is looking for; the star wants a drink; they take a break.
A long break is followed by more imperfect takes, fading light and discussions about failed relationships. Beyond the personal trials, there are pointed discussions about what is honest storytelling and what might sell best in Hollywood.
It is a heavy load —most, but not all of which fits into the play’s design gracefully.
For each take, the director repositions everyone, and they shoot again. Larry (Malcolm Rodgers), a scientist advising on the set, strolls in and weaves his way into the discussion, driving directly to fact, that efforts to deal with the human situation are all for the good, but it won’t much matter in the long term, though, when our star goes down, it’s the end of the human race.
Ultimately, Shotgun Players balance the humorous, the serious and the disastrous with a fairly level hand in “Continuity.”
Shotgun Players’ “Continuity” continues through June 27 on the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. Tickets are $40-$80 at shotgunplayers.org.