Willow’s Compass

A Moral Compass, agreed upon and enforced by the educated and powerful, is an easy solution to war, genocide, trauma, murder, etc. Morality shared among the general public eliminates disagreement on what is right and wrong. World Peace is achievable, but so is mind control. In the world of this play, people are docile and easy to influence, given their trust in the council and other people. When Alastor says, “It is my job to lead the blind,” it is clear that he views the public as an inferior mass of controllable beings (67). Has technology gone too far? As we evolve, does technology become a part of us? When technology becomes such an intricate part of us, how do we locate our humanity?

Technological Advancements

Humanity has evolved alongside the technology it develops. As society progresses, we become more and more dependent on what we develop. When technology controls our morality, do we lose our humanity? Theatre is driven by conflict, tension, and reflecting on the flaws of human nature.

In his TedTalk, Harvey Fineberg discusses how humans are at a point where we can take control of our evolution using our technology, accelerating the process of human advancement. He discusses this in terms of gene modification but I think the relationship he draws between technology and evolution rings true in the world of Willow's Compass. He calls this neo-evolution.

Altering the ways humans evolve is a massive diversion from the natural process of evolution. Willow's Compass takes place not far from 2019. The mandate is passed in 2025. We are increasingly becoming dependent on technology. Children are growing up with screens in front of their faces, often unmonitored. Endless information is at our fingertips. We are physically more comfortable than ever. In his article "Technological Advances and its Effects on Human Evolution," Manuj Aggarwal discusses transhumanism, an artificial evolution process that "involves the studying of internal software of human body and tinkering with it for better results," (Aggarwal). He views this in a positive perspective: we can alter any defect so humans can live fulfilling lives with safety and longevity provided by technology.

Despite the advances of technology, there is also the issue of user's privacy. Everything we look at online is used for marketing, aiming to sell products to us based on our searches. What we see is personalized to cater towards our wants and needs. When the ruling class goes so far as to chip our brains, there are no limits to the invasion that may occur.

Enforced moral rules, instilled by the government, defies the complexity of human nature. World Peace is attained in this universe but at what cost? Is it worth our humanity? In addition to being docile, humans are also dulled of their passion, the emotion that brings light to our lives through each other, art, music, etc.

Brain Surgery

Frontal Lobe

Controls cognitive skills, including emotional expression, sexual behavior, judgement, language, problem solving, communication, personality,

Source: https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/frontal-lobe#1

Step-by-step:

1. Preparation: patient is given general anesthesia and head may be placed in 3-pin skull fixation device

2. Skin incision: Prep with antiseptic. Incisions are usually made behind hairline

3. Craniotomy (opening of skull): The skin and muscles are lifted off bone and folded back. Small burr holes are drilled into skull, allowing for craniotome (saw) to enter. Surgeon cuts outline of hole into skull. Bone flap is lifted, exposing the dura, protective covering of brain.

4. Opening of the dura: Surgeon exposes the brain.

5. Perform procedure: Now that the brain is exposed, the problem can be corrected. Because it is tightly enclosed in the skull, the brain cannot be moved around. Surgeons use tiny instruments to work on deeper parts of the brain.

6. Close craniotomy: Dura is closed. Bone flap is returned to its original place, secured by titanium plates and screws. Muscles and skin are stitched back together.

Source: https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-craniotomy.htm

Glossary

Moral Compass: prevents individuals from experiencing and acting upon what is considered a "dangerous" emotion.

Inhibitor/Upgrades/Accessories: Given that the person could afford it, those with a Moral Compass have the option to customize their compasses.

The Mandate: Allows for all civilians to be able to have compasses installed, regardless of their financial means, passed in efforts to obtain world peace. Politicians and their family are exempt from this policy, which enforces that all individuals have their compass installed at birth. It was passed on July 4th, 2025.

Compassless Relocation Mandate: Gone into effect August 7th, 2025. Everyone over the age of eighteen who refused Compass Installation were sent to district made specifically for them. Exceptions were made for seniors who had Compass-wearing family members to care for them.

Adonian Council: Council appointed to enforce the rules of Adonia, including the Mandate. The council members are exempt from the Mandate. The head is Alastor Zinfandel, father of Maxwell.

Genre:

Sci-Fi Theatre is a largely unexplored genre. There have been a few plays produced, such as 1984 (adaptation of George Orwell's novel), Caryl Churchill's A Number, Nick Payne's Constellations, or Frankenstein, the stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel.

However, the plays I have found still stay true to the aim of theatre -- exploring the human condition. The ideas of this genre are pertinent to conceptualizing the future of society, in which technology plays a huge role.

Contemporary fiction, however, finds home in this genre through books such as Cormac McCarthy's The Road or David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. These novels explore current issues and address cultural anxieties about the future. We are living in the rise of internet and smartphones. Although our devices are deeply ingrained into our culture, they are still relatively new to us. Technology has progressed incredibly in the past 10 years and it's difficult to imagine where it will take us in 2029.