Can You Keep a Secret?-- Find out in DOUBLE JOY

By Christine Mason 



            Do you have a secret? – No, I’m not asking about that one time you stole some crayons from Ms. Lawrence’s basket in first grade—Do you have a deep secret that perhaps you’re embarrassed or ashamed to share? If so, how long would you hold off before sharing this secret with your current partner? 

           In the renown musical The Addams Family, Morticia Addams sings of secrets between a husband and wife as one of the greatest evils. She says, “lies and secrets / they’re the sins that keep / a husband from a wife.” This may be true, as opening up and being honest with another person lets them look at who you are in full light. However, sometimes these secrets could change an entire relationship. 

          What if you had a condition that you could not get rid of? It may be due to an accident, or a health condition that was beyond your control. You would learn the condition’s influence on you and your partner, placing an extra obstacle on your pathway. 

            In the movie Me Before You, a wealthy young banker named Will Traynor is left paralyzed after an accident. While this may an obvious secret, it does influence his entire outlook on life; that is, until a young lady named Louisa Clark becomes his caregiver. Her presence does change Will’s ultimate perspective on his unchangeable situation, but his paralysis does stand as a huge barrier between the two people initially, causing distress for both of them. 

          Now, let’s flip the situation around. What if you were in a new relationship and you were completely sure that your partner had a secret that he/she was trying to keep hidden. How long would it be before you ask about it? 

          In Joseph Lizardi’s new play Double Joy, a young woman starts dating an older man who is definitely hiding something. How will she choose to handle the situation? More importantly, how will his secret impact their relationship? Is love stronger than any physical barrier?

DOUBLE JOY By Joseph Lizardi 
A romance between a middle aged couple who allowed their growing love for each other act as a healing process that helps seal their relationship. 


Saturday, July 15th at 3pm 
Monday, July 17th at 9pm 
Saturday, July 22nd at 1pm 
Monday, July 24th at 7pm 


Tickets: $25 Online, $27 at the Box Office 
Premium Seats (Rows A-F): $30 Online, $35 at the Box Office


At the Theatre at St. Clement's 
423 West 46th Street, NYC 
Between 9th & 10th Avenue

For tickets click here. 

A Relationship of the Mind, Or One Beyond Words? ROUSING THE HEAD has never been so exciting.

By Christine Mason

“People say you can’t live without love…

                   …I think oxygen is more important.”

          Ah yes, Sheldon Cooper’s unintentionally smart-ass phrases never fail to bring in the laughter in the hit TV series The Big Bang Theory. Throughout the seasons, millions of fans across the globe have watched the progression of main character Sheldon Cooper (played by actor Jim Parsons), who starts out as a brilliant theoretical physicist lacking social skills and awareness. The show took an interesting turn when Sheldon was introduced to future girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler (played by actress Mayim Bialik), an awkwardly charming neurobiologist introduced in the Season 3 finale. Overtime, as Amy and Sheldon form a more meaningful relationship, we watch Amy’s increasing desire for a more intimate relationship with Sheldon, who does not immediately reciprocate these emotions. Sheldon describes his relationship Amy as “one of the mind,” but it is not long before Amy feels that their relationship lacks a different kind of connection.

          These conflicting ideals of what it means to be in a romantic relationship raises the questions of the most important aspects of intimacy. Specifically, is it equally as important for a couple to be physically intimate in addition to being intellectually compatible? 

Melissa Ross

          Playwright Melissa Ross explores these ideas in her new play Rousing the Head, in which a woman chooses to be in a relationship with a mechanical head that is programmed to be mentally cooperative instead of a real man. This decision to have a robotic partner is due to her need for control and certainty after a history of failed relationships with real-life men, who were unpredictable and dissimilar to her. She then has a night out in which she meets a man whom she can dance and share intimate feelings with. Does she hold on to the safe robotic head—or decide to risk future heartbreak with a real man? 

          With our current developing technology, many people separate themselves from other human beings and spend time on their phones or computers. You may ask yourself how much time some kids spend on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Sometimes we oversee the importance of interacting with the people around us. In the end, artificial intelligence does not compare to the benefits and intimacy of real human connections. “Rousing the Head” will have you thinking about the technology-focused future, and asking yourself “what does it mean to be in a romantic 

relationship?”

ROUSING THE HEAD
By Melissa Ross
If you had to decide between being sexually or intellectually fulfilled in a relationship, which would you choose?  It is the year 2050, and Judy is torn between The Compatible Man SZ20 Series and a warm-blooded companion.

Saturday, July 15^th at 5pm
Saturday, July 15^th at 9pm
Sunday, July 16^th at 9pm
Tuesday, July 18^th at 7pm

Tickets: $25 Online, $27 at the Box Office
Premium Seats: $30 Online, $35 at the Box Office

At the Theatre at St. Clement's
423 West 46th Street, NYC
Between 9th & 10th Avenue
For tickets click here.  

Christine Mason, Writer