Eyewitness Report From '800 Words' in Missoula, Montana

I blogged a couple of weeks ago about a performance of Victoria Stewart's PKD-centric play '800 Words' in Missoula, Montana. 

Well I got a non-Dick-Head acquaintance (of which I have half a dozen) who lives in Montana to go see the production. Here's what Andrea has to say of the production: 

"Clearly, [Philip K. Dick] was not a well man but they portrayed his mental health both in a slightly gritty/ realistic and comedic ally playful way. The play-write was clever in the use of timelines and concepts of reality. The story spanned about a 4-5 year period of his life but skipped around a bit (all in the same room). *Spoiler* I think one of the most interesting parts was the ending, as he was dying there was a scene where he meets the writer and comes to realize his is in a play, yet another reality that he had not realized.  They also touch on the fact that his own story is re-written by another and is not completely accurate… like Blade Runner. It was pretty interesting and, again, I think if I knew his life better, I would have enjoyed it even more."

As I suspected, Andrea confirms the title "800 Words" comes from SF author and PKD mentor van Vogt (pretty sure it rhymes with "goat") rule. As John Huntington writes in his 1998 essay "Philip K. Dick: Authenticity and Insincerity," "The van Vogt rule of a new idea every 800 words is a way of generating complexity and of enforcing at least the illusion of a relentless dialectic." Huntington continues, "Often the change at word 800 involves a blatant reversing of the values some character or thing has represented: a friend turns out to be an enemy, an enemy a friend, what we thought was useful is useless, an escape is a trap, etc." 

The cast of characters provides some clue as to the material covered: Reggie Herbert as Philip K. Dick, Ann Peacock as Sasha, Heaven Raines as Jane, Erin Lee Agner as Tessa, Timothy Ballard as Secret Agent Scruggs/Stanislaw Lem, Hannah Overton as Jen, and Casey Chapman as Victoria.

On the actor playing Phil (Reggie Herbert), Andrea says, "The actor was average height, average built, long hair, scruffy. He was very animated… a toned down Jim Carey type. A lot of arm gestures and facial expressions. I can’t think of a word to accurately describe that although he was hypersexualized, he did not come across as very masculine… nor feminine. There were many points in the play were his expressions switched quickly from joy/comedy to pain/confusion."

Andrea concludes, "The way he played the character did really remind me of many people that I’ve known personally and whom have had brain injuries. Sounds like Dick dies of TiA’s. (Transient ischemic attack) "

That last comment is really interesting to me. It suggests the play is not lionizing, And, Andrea is right Phil had a stroke on February 25th, 1982 and then another a few days later, after which he was declared brain dead. For years he was at serious risk of a stroke as his blood pressure was, like, 250/170. Sounds like the production did some research to suggest Phil some medical pathology behind 2/3/74.  

Looks the production has wrapped. Keep the Dick-Head informed if the play comes to your town or fiefdom. 

Thanks, Andrea!