NewYorkRep will host a world premiere for Ashley Griffin (Trial)'s The Opposite of Love Off-Broadway at the Royal Performing Arts Space. Performances will begin May 28 ahead of a May 30 opening night. The limited engagement will continue through June 15.
The new work centers on the unlikely bond between a down-on-his-luck hustler and the trust fund baby that hires him to help her overcome some sexual trauma. Rachel Klein will direct, with Griffin and Danny Gardner (Flying Over Sunset) starring.
The production will feature scenic design by Brendan McCann and lighting design by Zach Pizza, with Kelly Merritt serving as production stage manager and Emily Katherine as assistant stage manager. Kaylin Kellin is general managing.
"I looked forward to the day I would enter the adult world of relationships and have a positive, experience with intimacy, especially as a survivor of sexual trauma,” says Griffin in a statement. "Instead, I was thrown into a culture where dates felt like auditions (casting couch and all) and people were treated as a commodity. The Opposite of Love was born out of a desire to hold a mirror up to the issues we encounter when trying to form romantic relationships in today’s environment."
"The quandary of dating in today’s complicated world of mixed expectations is fraught with anxiety for most," adds Gayle Waxenberg, founder and executive director of NewYorkRep. "Add in those dealing with any trauma; a bit more nerve wracking. For victims of sexual assault who often struggle with finding their own healthy sense of sexuality, perhaps even a nightmare. That’s why NewYorkRep found Ashley Griffin’s words in this play brave, poignant, and theatrically just delightful."
Tickets are available via EventBrite.