Matthew Gasda’s Tech Titans Clash in San Francisco

by Kim Waldron

I can’t remember the last time I was so exhilarated listening to dialogue—in this case, a fight by the tech elite over who gets to sit on an AI company throne. The fast-paced wordplay of Act One flies by. Characters know what they are fighting for and the stakes could not be higher.

Playwright Matthew Gasda’s inspiration comes via the San Altman saga. Altman, the CEO of a major San Francisco AI company, was fired by his board in 2023 over the lack of guardrails to control AI and charges of abusive behavior. Within days, Altman maneuvered his return, forcing out the board members who had terminated him. Today, Altman sits on the transition team of San Francisco’s new mayor.

In this imagined version, the dynamic first act consists of Seth and his top aides plotting a war against the board that fired him. Satire of the Tech lifestyle amuses, but it’s the clash of egos as the highly skilled, but humanly flawed young executive team debate ethics that rivet us.

Gradually, we realize they believe they’re determining the future for all of us. They’re in a struggle for power and the winner will control the development of an intelligence that could solve humanity’s problems if done right or, doom us all if done wrong.

Sam Hyrkin plays CEO Seth, managing to be thuggish, vulgar, and visionary all in one breath. Sitting center stage, he’s always in command. He makes no apologies or compromises for any of his actions, protesting, “I was fired for creating miracles.” Hyrkin delivers an amazing performance.

Emily Anderson superbly plays Alina, the ethicist with the heart and soul that Seth lacks. She’s up against the arrogance of a tech elite that plans to control the future, the Department of Defense, and capitalism. Inevitably, Elon is mentioned. The other board members—a tired attorney, a close friend, and a worried CEO—all try to reconcile Seth and Alina, with little luck.

In Act Two, the company board watches the mounting reaction against their firing of Seth. As their unease grows, this band of wealthy entrepreneurs agonize, backstab, and philosophize. Dialogue is harder to follow, overlapping too often, and the focus is less clear. That said, the characters are distinctive, including a cynical old school outsider, a retired 25-year-old multi-millionaire, and board members who run the gamut of pragmatic to emotional.

It’s a large cast, and all are spirited actors, committed to their characters’ foibles and vulnerabilities. Our investment in them is enhanced by the intimate performance space, putting the audience in “the room where it happens” in each act.

Elenor Irene Paul’s costumes are terrific, perfectly capturing the tech dress codes and each character’s personality.

For all the rich satire of the tech world, always looming overhead is the fact no one really knows what AI will bring. We ricochet between hope for an ideal future and terror from the threat of extinction.

For those who enjoy face-paced dialogue, drama, and challenging ideas, “Doomers” offers gripping nightmares and visions.

 

“Doomers” by Matthew Gasda, directed by Ash Baker, costumes designed by Elenor Irene Paul, stage management by Mikala Slotnik, dramaturgy by Chat GPT & Claude, at the Pallas Gallery, 1111 Geary Blvd, San Francisco.  Info: Doomers.fyi – to March 22, 2025.

Cast:  Emily Anderson, Arup Chakrabarti, Anna Connelly, Elliot Gross, Tommy Harkness, Sam Hyrkin, Emily Keyishian, Gabi Maalihan, Evan Sokol, and Alex Trono.

Notes: 

The Eventbrite site incorrectly states the play is three hours.  With two acts and an intermission, it’s just under two hours.

The play speaks to both AI pros and lay people, but you’ll pick up more of the repartee if you know the basics of either the Altman firing or AI.