Sexy meets clever in local production of 'Sex With Strangers'

REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS



How connected is too connected in the age of smart phones and social media? Can people ever truly be who they claim to be in a generation oversaturated with likes, comments and shares?



In its opening weekend, the play "Sex With Strangers" sought to answer these questions and more in a collaboration between Stray Cat Theatre and Arizona Theatre Company. While it ended without definitive answers, it explored both sides of the argument with impressive success.
To address the elephant in the room: yes, the play was based on physical attraction. Yes, it got pretty saucy. If that's your thing, you'll likely enjoy the superb chemistry between Olivia and Ethan. As the only two characters in the play, their verbal and physical relationship is the foundation for everything else that takes place. Thankfully Harper and Eglen do a terrific job of playing off each other and expressing their characters' emotions physically.



(It doesn't hurt that both of them are smoking hot, either.)



If the thought of watching two actors get intimate onstage is unappealing, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the play. The physical aspects, while heated, are brief and mostly limited to passionate kissing. The audience can easily infer when the characters are going that direction, but the actual sex is carefully plotted in between scenes.



The physical connection factors less into the production than the verbal sparring between Olivia and Ethan. The two of them basically banter nonstop for two hours, alternating between fighting, flirting, debating and seducing each other. It's an extraordinary feat for two actors to demonstrate such energy and endurance.



In a production without flashy musical numbers, ensemble side-shows or attention-grabbing props, it's up to the actors to drive the plot forward. "Sex With Strangers" manages to captivate its audience for the entire two hours.



It was funny, bold, clever and provocative.



THIS IS AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL REVIEW - READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY BELOW