"Marina" Dares You to Laugh at Technology

"Marina," a 2026 Whitney Biennial program premiere at Manhattan's Little Island amphitheater, takes a unique approach to the increasingly common theme of post-human technology. Rather than portraying fear or despair, the play opts for laughter and affection in its critique of technology's encroachment on our lives. The stage features a figure in a burgundy pinstripe suit silently communicating into a payphone suspended above a dystopian underwater scene, while video screens display patterns of water waves emerging from coral and debris.

The story follows Marina, a sea wench played by Martine Gutierrez, her protective sister River L. Ramirez, and Nano, an anglerfish. They exist in the murky waters of the Gowanus Canal, accumulating discarded items to form their protective shells. When a construction worker distractedly interacts with his AI girlfriend and drops his smartphone into the water, Marina becomes ensnared in a world dominated by influencers and their relentless pursuit of self-worth through male validation.

Drawing inspiration from traditional narratives of women's struggles, Marina embarks on a journey to create the perfect online persona, ultimately finding herself ensnared in a catfishing scheme. Upon discovering the deception, Marina and her sister turn to homicidal anger, absorbing their Apple Watches and motorcycle jackets into their ever-expanding junkyard environment.

Meanwhile, the pinstriped narrator, a detective seemingly always near a payphone, seeks to unravel the mystery surrounding the vanishing of men in the underwater world. As Marina faces the daunting task of forging her own identity, she learns the importance of locating one's sense of self within their existing existence.