Jon is a celebrated novelist, a charismatic university professor, and a middle-aged man staring down the collapse of his third marriage. Enter Annie—a nineteen-year-old star student and a devoted fan of his work. As an undeniable attraction draws them into increasingly dangerous territory, this gripping two-hander explores the slippery slopes of power, agency, and blurred boundaries.

I thought this was a fairly good two-hander but—I don’t like being a hater—it’s hard for it to work with such a weak link. The third-person narrator style worked really well for me even from the beginning as it situates John’s rationalizations as alternately a university lecture and a work of seeming autofiction, both of which very well suit his character. Good harmony of form and function. I think that it’s an achievement in intimacy coordination (and the writing striking a pretty delicate balance) to tell this story earnestly on stage while keeping everyone involved comfortable—presumptive, maybe, but they came back for a second run—and making it sufficiently creepy but not grossly so (i.e. exit the theater)