Stray Cat Theatre Gives Great Vibrations to Laura Eason's SEX WITH STRANGERS

Saturday, September 26, 2015
Broadway World.com

REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

In SEX WITH STRANGERS, Laura Eason has created a ground zero to test these questions with two characters who are as different as night and day and yet as recognizable as the reflections in our mirrors. It is a profoundly provocative work, rich in word play and dramatic twists, and steaming with relevance.

In a collaborative arrangement with Arizona Theatre Company, Stray Cat Theatre, highly regarded for its edgy productions, is now taking a stab at Ms. Eason's two-person two act play and ~ Hurrah! ~ has scored a direct and palpable hit at the heart of her work. Brilliantly and incisively directed by Ron May, Stray Cat's Founding Artistic Director, the result is a riveting portrait of literary wannabees in a world where the smell and texture of the written page is being displaced by digitalization ~ where authenticity and fraudulence may be two sides of the same coin. His vision is fulfilled by the extraordinary and riveting performances of Heather Lee Harper and Tyler Eglen.

Harper and Eglen are a dynamic duo of chemistry and tour de force artistry. As their relationship winds up and unwinds, as the dance of their aspiring selves uncoils, the two draw you deeper and deeper into the magic of their performances. Harper is magnetic, seamlessly shifting moods and unfolding the depth and nuances of her character. Eglen evokes an image of the feral predator, sinuously weaving in and around Olivia.

May has been blessed, thanks to ATC, with a larger stage than he is used to, and he has made the best of it. Combine his astute direction with a magnificent cast and the authenticity of Eric Beeck's sets and you have the Valley of the Sun's first big hit of the Season.

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

SEX WITH STRANGERS