(un)conditional
Written by Ali Keller; Directed by Ivey Lowe
SoHo Playhouse | 15 Vandam St, NY, NY 10013
September 25 - October 26
Photo Credit: Russ Rowland
What happens when theatre dares to step into the most uncomfortable corners of human experience? Ali Keller’s play answers with a work that is as brave as it is devastating. The play grapples with material that aligns with issues addressed by RAINN. The content is difficult and taboo yet handled with extraordinary care by both playwright and director, who never sensationalize the subject but instead build a frame for truth, empathy, and confrontation.
We meet two married couples who are navigating desires and acceptance in a long relationship that stretches from teenage years into adulthood. Their paths intersect one evening in a shop, where the young daughter of one couple becomes entwined in confusion. The stakes rise instantly, and the choices that follow reverberate throughout the play.
Under the compassionate and precise direction of Ivey Lowe, the production stripped away distractions to leave only the story and the performers. With a door, a chair, a bed, a rug, and a side table with lamp, the stage was minimal yet striking, placing the audience in direct confrontation with the material.
Rarely does an ensemble feel so unified while allowing each actor to shine. Every performer was compelling and a master of their craft, committed not only to their characters but to holding the emotional weight of one another’s work. The result was storytelling that felt both dangerous and safe: dangerous in its willingness to confront, safe in its execution by artists who clearly thought through every detail.
Valerie (Kate Abbruzzese) and (Kyle Brooks Brantly) give a grounded, layered performance that captured strength and fragility in equal measures. Abbruzzese made Valerie’s pain and choices feel lived-in, drawing the audience into her inner conflict. Brantly’s Kyle is charismatic and magnetic with his refusal to be one-dimensional.
Annalisa Chamberlin (Lenox) and Nathan Darrow (Hank) deliver with clarity and precision. Chamberlin’s Lenox was sharp providing both an essential and halting perspective. Darrow’s quiet power and command of stillness allowed his moments of intensity to land with shattering force.
Then we have Georgia Waehler as Mia. Perhaps the most haunting performance. Waehler, an adult actress, portrayed a 7-year-old with such conviction that it unsettled the audience to the core. Perfectly cast, she embodied innocence with unnerving authenticity, making her presence impossible to ignore. The discomfort she evoked was essential to the play’s power.
The production was a marathon of emotions, by turns heartbreaking, unsettling, and at unexpected moments, darkly funny. It posed questions without offering answers: What are you willing to do for love? What does consent mean to you? How do we navigate silence and complicity? Rather than allowing time for quiet reflection, the play pressed forward with intensity and rhythm, forcing the audience to experience the story in real time, breath by breath.
Material like this demands careful stewardship. Ali Keller’s script is fearless yet tender, weaving breadcrumbs throughout the narrative that rewards close attention. Ivey Lowe’s direction was both compassionate and exacting, guiding the ensemble toward performances that carried enormous weight without collapsing under it.
Equally essential was the work of intimacy director Emily Hartford, who created a safe space for the actors to journey into the darkest places of the story. Her guidance was palpable in the performances, allowing the cast to dive into fraught moments with both courage and protection.
The design elements elevated the piece without ever distracting from it. Scenic design by Lindsay Fudri maximized the stage with deceptively simple units that later transformed into surprising and essential ways. Costume design by Olivia Vaughn Hern subtly reflected the characters’ inner lives and transitions. Lighting design by Kat Morrill and Elliot Yokum’s soundscape was thoughtful and specific in support of the various scenes.
This was theatre at its most urgent: not an escape, but a confrontation. Beautifully acted, tightly directed, and deeply responsible in its handling of fraught subject matter, the production left its audience shaken, questioning, and unwilling to look away.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Malini Singh McDonald.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on September 26, 2025. All rights reserved.