It was so fucking cynical! \u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t generally add vulgar expletives to my reviews.\u00a0 Mostly because it\u2019s practically never necessary.\u00a0 And those kinds of expressions, as a rule, do nothing to critique a show any better.<\/p>\n
In the case of, THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, however, those were the first thoughts in my head long before the finale of the performance I attend.\u00a0 I mean, like, wow!\u00a0 And I had to get it out of my brain, off my lips and on paper, as friends do in conversation, for release.\u00a0 But really, no more than that.<\/p>\n THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, written by Ashley Griffin, who also plays lead female, Eloise, is billed<\/a>, \u201cIf \u2018Pretty Woman\u2019 was a \u2018black mirror\u2019 episode sans tech.\u201d\u00a0 A down on his luck hustler, Will (played by Evan Strand) is hired to have sex with a (trust fund) woman who can well-afford his services. She does this in order to help herself move past hard core sexual trauma that she experienced in her early childhood by a family member.\u00a0 It goes without saying that what Eloise is attempting is no small feat.\u00a0 And no matter how anyone might feel about the construct, it\u2019s a deep truth for her to do it in this way.\u00a0 Griffin, does so unapologetically, which makes it not only believable but captivating to a degree.<\/p>\n One of the play\u2019s main objectives is to illuminate two people\u2019s search for intimacy in a world where love is a commodity.\u00a0 And in much of the play, it succeeds.\u00a0 Especially where Strand\u2019s character is concerned.\u00a0 Strand brings real vulnerability to Will that simmers beneath the surface at all times.\u00a0 In the beginning, the affair is completely transactional for Will.\u00a0 He even tells Eloise not to fall in love with him because, \u201cit never ends well.\u201d But as time goes by, it\u2019s clear that along the way, he is becoming more committed to what he thinks are mutual feelings. And Eloise is not merely leading him on. \u00a0<\/p>\n Eloise creates the courtship setup, gradually, over many weeks, opening up to Will to the point where they actually connect emotionally \u2013 as well as physically.\u00a0 Then she cuts him off.\u00a0 No-Contact Cold.\u00a0 And that\u2019s where the whole \u201cPretty Woman\u201d illusion ends.\u00a0 There is no happy ending. Worse, Eloise plays the victim in a 180-degree reversal where she accuses Will of using her only for the money.\u00a0 Even though there\u2019s been no particular indication of nefariousness other than him counting bills on the first \u201cdate\u201d. In fact, he\u2019s extended himself on multiple levels.\u00a0 Eloise\u2019s downright viciousness is a shock.\u00a0 And how Griffin presents this turnaround makes as little sense to the audience as it does to Will.<\/p>\n There are lots of bits and pieces thrown into THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE as character information.\u00a0 Some of which are completely jarring. These show up from time to time in posturing or expositional dialog.\u00a0 But you never get the full picture of Eloise\u2019s emotional or psychological state.\u00a0 Or at least a truthful one.\u00a0 In fact, Griffin\u2019s writing feels like a feminist revenge fantasy by a woman whose writing perceptually sounds like a man\u2019s.\u00a0 The female character doesn\u2019t get fully explored to the extent where we can get on board with her behavior. And maybe we\u2019re just not meant to.<\/p>\n In a sense, Griffin writes herself into a corner.\u00a0 Eloise seems less dimensional than Will.\u00a0 Especially in the not-at-all subtle, psychological\/emotional sea changes she makes all the time.\u00a0 Her deliberate off-balance doesn\u2019t just throw her partner into a change in behavior.\u00a0 It also throws the audience\u2019s understanding of what\u2019s really going on.\u00a0 And either because of the writing or because of Griffin\u2019s delivery, the outcome doesn\u2019t allow a real exploration of the intended character complexities. Eloise ultimately becomes a villain. \u00a0<\/p>\n Otherwise, Melora Marshall\u2019s direction is quite good including the full use of the Hudson Theatre stage.\u00a0 And although you are left with a feeling of bitterness in the outcome, THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, actually does its job of explaining the title.<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/giaonthemove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cruise-Guys-Image-300-x-600.-1.14.24.jpg?resize=300%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/a>This is not a romance.<\/h6>\n
![\"\u00a92009](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/giaonthemove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Gia_GOTM_570x191.png?resize=570%2C191&ssl=1\")