Ashley Griffin’s new play, The Opposite of Love, stars Danny Gardner as Will, and Griffin herself as Eloise, at the Royal Family Performing Arts Space.
New York Rep continues to develop new plays that inspire and compel social change with its world premiere of Ashley Griffin’s The Opposite of Love. Directed by Rachel Klein, this poignant two-hander explores how people often experience long-term effects of sexual abuse suffered in childhood.
Press materials suggest The Opposite of Love is a mashup of Pretty Woman and a Black Mirror episode. A young woman named Eloise (Griffin) hires a down-on-his-luck prostitute, Will (Danny Gardner), to help her overcome her fear of sex. Their first meeting is a disaster. Every time Will tries to make physical contact with Eloise, she retreats to another part of the apartment. Will, seeing Eloise as a meal ticket, suggests that he return weekly to serve as a kind of sex therapist for her. Eloise agrees, explaining that her standoffish behavior during his first visit is actually a result of childhood trauma:
My uncle started molesting me when I was three, but technically I’m still a virgin, and I haven’t … so I just needed to get over myself and do it with someone … safe. … You really want to talk?
Gardner and Griffin share a warm moment in The Opposite of Love. Photographs by Jeremy Varner.
Will does. But he tells Eloise that he has one caveat: “Just promise that you won’t fall in love with me.” Eloise confidently retorts, “Don’t worry. I won’t.” And the deal is sealed.
The play’s language patterns change as the characters evolve. Early on, Eloise and Will’s verbal exchanges are choppy and fragmented, effectively pointing up the wide emotional chasm between them. As their weekly meetings continue, however, they tend to speak in complete sentences, even when they begin to dredge up some painful events from their past. For example, Eloise shares how she was dumped by a guy on their third date when she refused to have sex with him; Will divulges how he became a prostitute, explaining that “it’s not like an eighteen-year-old high school dropout has a lot of career options.”
As Eloise, Griffin is able to project the melancholy humor that her role demands. Gardner, though best-known for his accomplished turns in musicals (Flying Over Sunset, Harmony), demonstrates that he can hold his own in straight drama as well. Most important, Griffin and Gardner have good stage chemistry and don’t overreach themselves in any scene.
Brendan McCann’s gleaming white set, lit by Zach Pizza, includes immaculate white furniture, a matching rug, and a handsome bookshelf. The white color scheme subtly underscores that Eloise is technically still a virgin, despite her childhood molestation.
The title is a clear echo of writer Elie Wiesel’s famous quote: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” It’s evident that Griffin penned her play to shed light on the long-term effects of sexual trauma. But she also seems to be advocating for human rights and a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect.
Gardner plays a down-on-his-luck prostitute in Griffin’s The Opposite of Love.
The character arcs of both Eloise and Will are fascinating. Eloise gradually becomes less stiff as she gets to know Will, and Will appears to see Eloise as a person rather than a cash cow. They share snacks; they play the physically interactive game Twister; they even order a Domino’s pizza. And, oh yes. They have satisfying sex. (Crista Marie Jackson is the intimacy director.)
The Opposite of Love isn’t a happily-ever-after story, however. Given that the nature of Eloise and Will’s bond is a business transaction, it’s hardly surprising. As Will explains, being a prostitute is not an easy life:
This is how I earn a living. El, I’m lucky if I get to crash with any client, because when I don’t, I’m crammed with six of my buddies in a two-bedroom shithole in the Bronx where no one currently living there is actually on the lease.
The Opposite of Love is unique in that it doesn’t look at the immediate experience of sexual trauma but looks at the fallout people experience later on in their adult lives. It gives one a vivid portrait of a victim and so much more.
There is little question that Griffin is an up-and-coming playwright of talent. And, as a survivor herself of childhood sexual abuse, she has penned a riveting play on this thorny subject.
The New York Rep’s production of The Opposite of Love plays through June 15 at the Royal Family Performing Arts Space (145 W. 46 St.). Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday. For tickets and more information, visit newyorkrep.org.
Playwright: Ashley Griffin
Director: Rachel Klein
Set: Brendan Mc Cann
Lighting: Zach Pizza
