Allison McAlister as Kristen in “Open.” Photo by Kayode Kendall.
Nu Sass Productions’ “Open” might best be described as a very personal show that invokes some big themes to depict a rather intimate story. Magic is at the center of this one-woman performance, and magic both lifts her up and lets her down. This is also a play about understanding that even though certain communities have made major strides, there are still boundaries and those boundaries can be quite dangerous to cross—a truly sobering look at where the LGBTQ population stands as we head into Pride month.
McAlister’s movement between ‘acts’ and between emotions is not only compelling but strangely comforting.
Kristen, an aspiring writer, falls in love with Jenny. They meet appropriately enough at a bookshop. Their journey is told through Kristen’s remembrances augmented by voiceovers from the past. Broken up into three short acts—First Love, Commitment, and Sacrifice—the play is a testament to the power of love, the predicaments that often plague love, and the hopes we are willing to pin on love. So yes, long story short, it is very much a play about love. Without giving too much away, it is also, discordantly and reassuringly enough, a play about finding oneself even during the most traumatic moments life throws our way.
The set for this production is a bare stage. It all comes down to voices—Kristen’s as well as those from the past. It is the magical echoes we hear in our head over and over again and the echoes that guide us whether we want them to or not. In Nu Sass’s iteration of Crystal Skillman’s heart-wrenching work, the heavy lifting is done by the actor portraying Kristen—and this show does indeed come down to Allison McAlister’s performance. The “magician’s magician,” the central character here must metaphorically and, in some instances, literally walk a tightrope traversing the peaks and valleys that are inherent to just about any relationship. McAlister’s movement between “acts” and between emotions is not only compelling but strangely comforting. This is her saga, her love story, her tragedy, and yet, she somehow makes the audience feel as though she’s just given them a nice, warm blanket and a cup of tea as she murmurs, “there, there, it’s going to be okay.” Her performance indeed makes it okay. It also makes it scary as hell, not to mention, it sparks our curiosity in a riveting, edge-of-your-seat kind of way.
Directed by Dom Ocampo, the play’s smaller moments and the quiet revelations are really what give this show a power that is larger than you might think at first glance. “Open” is scheduled to close Sunday, May 28, just as Pride month is set to begin. Skillman makes a pretty bold statement about both the emotional satisfaction that comes from queer people being able to openly love someone of the same sex, and also the trepidation that comes with wondering if it’s safe to simply hold your partner’s hand as you walk down the street in broad daylight. It is a deeply revelatory message about how far we’ve come and the tightrope walk we’re still undertaking.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
“Open” runs through May 28, 2023 at Nu Sass Productions, CAOS on F, 923 F St NW Washington D.C. 20011. For tickets and more information, call 315-783-6650 or go to nusass.com.
