8/31/18: A Sex Thing (or, a bunch of liberals getting uptight about the sociopolitical implications of their desires)
What: A three-years-later revival with much of the same creative team of Kati Frazier's play about two couples struggling to connect, both emotionally and sexually, and the delicate balance between what they want and what they think the world thinks they should want. One couple, Ann and David, are dealing with the aftermath of an abusive relationship and a seemingly easy if uneventful co-existence, while the other couple, Stevie and Alice, contend with a hesitant interest in S&M, tempered by a resistance to Stevie's masculine presentation and the patriarchal implications.
And? I was psyched to see this revival because I missed it the first time (and heard nothing but good things about it), and it stars my very good friend (and Rosencrantz), Erin Keskeny. And I'm so glad I was able to catch it this time. I like the frank discussions these characters have, the conviction that while it's not an easy process, open communication is the only way for love and deep relationships to flourish. I understand that in this iteration, the two parallel couples have an awareness of each other they didn't before (before, they ran in tandem/parallel but without acknowledging each other), and I think that could be taken even further, so that it's not just about taking turns during the storytelling monologues (duologues?), but having some sense of conversation in the content - my one complaint would probably be that, without a connection between the duologues, it can be a challenge to follow both threads fully in the moment. However, that connection is more strongly forged in the parallel scenes, throwing both couples into crisis at pivotal and powerful moments. Frazier is a gifted writer and I can't wait to see more from them, and the cast, particularly Keskeny (Ann) and Mia Kang (Stevie) are terrific.
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