Open
Written by Crystal Skillman; Directed by Jessi D. Hill
WP Theater | 2162 Broadway, New York, NY 10024
July 8-27
Photos by Jeremy Varner
There was a New York Times article this week on the unconventional ways that people grieve. The bottom line is this: there is no one way to grieve and the way we grieve often reflects the person we loved.
Crystal Skillman’s Open is a tragically beautiful story about love, commitment, sacrifice, and the promises we make. The play begins the moment the audience enters the theater. A ghost light stands upstage right. The Magician, eyes closed, stands in the center of a bare stage, silently beckoning us to our seats.
We are invited into a private magic show. Balls are thrown into the air for us to catch. Flowers are pulled from a hat and given to an audience member. One audience member holds an egg beneath a large red scarf. Another selects a card from a deck. Balls are juggled, tightropes walked, rings linked. And yet, none of it is real. Nothing exists but the illusion. The art of pantomime is at its zenith.
The words are poetic and introspective. The magic is not in the props but in the belief. The magician is within us allowing us permission to believe in the illusion.
We witness their chance meeting in the occult section of The Strand, their first date at Marie’s Crisis, their courtship, their art and activism. We’re drawn into the rhythm of their life together, the intimacy and urgency of their bond. We also learn about their upbringings - glimpses into the forces that shaped them.
And at times, we wish all of it - especially the pain - could be an illusion.
Megan Hill’s performance is breathtaking and breathless—agile, vulnerable, and delivered with laser precision in her pantomime. She carries the emotional and physical weight of the show with astounding clarity.
Jessi D. Hill’s direction masterfully uses every aspect of the stage, integrating Sarah Johnston’s lighting and scenic design and Emma Wilks’ sound design into an inventive and hauntingly layered story.
I left the theatre reflecting on the tightrope I walk, the balls I am always juggling, and the fire I breathe. Sometimes, an illusion is survival. Believing in the magic, even for a moment, is what keep us going.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Malini Singh McDonald.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on July 16, 2025. All rights reserved.