THE BLISS OPTION
Written by Andrew E. Heinze; Co-Directed by Eva Minemar
Chain Theatre | 312 West 36th Street, Floor 3New York, NY, 10018
Oct 2 - 12, 2025
Andrew E. Heinze’s The Bliss Option, co-directed by Heinze and Eva Minemar, unfolds in a stark, unsettling world that feels both familiar and disorienting. As we settled into our seats, a slideshow presentation lulled us with the endless possibilities of joy: a young girl petting a unicorn, a sleep chamber, sweeping landscapes of endless beauty. Paired with a repetitive soundscape, the visuals carried a meditative, almost zen quality. “Every day the choice is yours,” we were reminded, an invitation that quickly began to feel ominous.
From there, the play strips away comfort and replaces it with unease. Three white flats and a single acrylic desk create a sterile environment, almost clinical in its minimalism. White noise that shifts between storm, static, and rocket ship immerses us in a soundscape that is mysterious and foreboding.
The narrative follows Eric, who has been escalated twice to the top floor of the Department of Health and Being. There he meets Stoddard, who presents him with paperwork for the Bliss Option. Eric has reached a breaking point; he is doing this not only for himself but also for his family, to ensure they are taken care of. Stoddard, however, complicates matters. Her position is isolating, and her interest in Eric extends beyond routine. As Eric maneuvers through the choices of his present, Stoddard vacillates between personal and professional in a seamless manner. We are drawn to her curiosity, her access to his dossier, and the haunting image of his guitar case against the wall.
One of the play’s most effective devices is its integration of time. Heinze notes that the process could take between 60 and 75 minutes, and within that constrained frame we become fully invested in the shifting power dynamics and emotional stakes.
Mary Murphy as Stoddard and Eric Percival as Dave ground the production with performances that are both precise and deeply human. Their portrayals capture the struggle of living in a society where quick fixes replace real connection, where isolation is normalized, and where fulfillment is measured in productivity and compliance.
The direction by Heinze and Minemar is crisp, moving the actors with precision and clarity through abstract material that could easily have become unwieldy. The set design by Christina Shrewsbury is visually striking in its sterility, not fully maximizing the Chain Theatre’s 54 square foot playing space, creating moments that felt constrained. The production’s design team nevertheless heightened the dystopian tone. George Port’s sound and projection design enveloped the stage in dissonance, Dariel Garcia’s lighting is clinical rather than governmental, and Tony Lepore’s technical operation kept these elements seamless.
Ultimately, The Bliss Option resists offering neat conclusions. Instead, it asks us to sit in the unease of a world where happiness is elusive, love is commodified, and the weight of existence feels increasingly difficult to carry. It is tough, dystopian, and existential, an unsettling mirror of the lives we live now.
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Review by Malini Singh McDonald.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on October 4, 2025. All rights reserved.