UCSB Theater & Dance’s “New Works Lab” featuring plays by four UCSB student playwrights took flight in the Performing Arts Theater in mid May. First up were “Gang Sines” by Malique Guinn and “The Last Video Game” by Tristan Newcomb, 2 very different takes on life in the early aughts. Mr. Guinn’s gritty, fast-paced jump into the world of higher math and dealing with past bullying had a nifty twist when the former bully shows up and easily solves a knotty old equation that his former victim has been struggling with. The mounting frustration of Newcomb’s socially awkward main character, who hopes to sell the video game made by his recently deceased friend, as he deals with a smarmy promoter he’s hired to help him achieve the ultimate tribute by making the recalcitrant game get picked up at a gaming convention. Fat chance!
