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There are at least three possible meanings for the title of Anne Washburn’s latest play, now in previews at MCC Theater. The word is internet slang for an unknown person online. It is also short for QAnon, the insidious conspiracy theory that gripped the country several years ago. Finally, it is an archaic word for “soon,” which turns out to be the scariest definition. My history with Anne Washburn is not a happy one: after being disappointed by three of her plays in a row several years ago, I decided that I had no affinity for her work and gave up on her. When this Washburn premiere turned up on my MCC subscription, I was not thrilled, but decided to grin and bear it. To my surprise, it turned out to be an interesting evening. While the play is far from perfect, it is timely and offers lots to think about. It is set in a San Antonio suburb in late September 2024 in the waning days of the Biden era. Our protagonist is Jeanie (the excellent Crystal Finn), mother of a 15-year-old daughter Delia (a fine Izabel Mar) and an 8 year-old son whom we never meet. We don’t learn a lot about husband Michael (Andrew Garman), except that may be unhappy in his marriage. A gay couple have just moved in across the street: the level-headed Adam (Jeff Biehl) and the excitable Will (the usually excellent Jeremy Shamos). The host of the televised interview with Jeanie that opens the second act is played by Joel Van Liew. One of the central themes of the play is our addiction to social media, but, in a neat twist, it is the parent, not the child, who is the addict. Jeanie spends so much time spinning conspiracies on her TikTok account that she forgets things like picking Delia up after school or preparing dinner. Delia, on the other hand, has forbidden her mother even to mention her on TikTok. The new neighbors stumble across Jeanie’s account and learn that she is incensed by the pride flag they have put up on their house. They become paranoid to a humorous but ridiculous degree until, four nights later, when she actually takes their flag down. In a subplot, Delia’s (short for Cordelia?) latest assignment from her English teacher is to write a soliloquy for a Shakespearean character who does not get one. She chooses Goneril, Lear’s eldest daughter. In a bold move, Washburn begins act two with a several-minute-long television interview in 2027 (not a typo) between the vice-president-general and “digital warrior” Jeanie. I won’t give away who the v-p general is. The play then resumes where it left off back in September 2024 before the flag-snatching. While each of the play’s threads is interesting, they don’t knit together as well as they might. The extremely abrupt ending needs work. As I write, there is still a week before opening, so perhaps things will fall into place. The minimalist set by dots depicts a table with benches and chairs that doubles as the dining space of both families. The projection design by Jared Mezzocchi is simple but effective. Brenda Abbandandolo’s costumes are apt. The lighting by Cha See is evocative. Anne Kauffman’s direction is fluid. As the play now stands, I found it a flawed but intriguing work that I was glad I didn’t pass up. Running time: two hours five minutes including intermission.