NYT: Sex With a Stranger: How Actors Do It Onstage
Posted: 11/7/25 at 9:53am
I saw this last night from the front row with John Cameron Mitchell and Elliot Page playing the two roles. I went specifically for them, even not knowing the conceit, since I already thought that casting a non-binary and trans male performer in the roles, as well as the fact that there’s a massive valley of stage experience between them, wa already going to enhance my interest in this theatrical experiment.
It’s definitely quite the experiment. It takes a good dive into the conceit and use of intimacy coordinators, while also empowering the audience to think critically about how the use of “no” with regards to sex and intimacy on stage (and in life) can somehow forge a deeper connection and make relationships more meaningful.
Posted: 11/7/25 at 10:29am
Opening paragraphs of the NYT article:
"Arian Moayed and Carla Gugino, two seasoned theater actors, walked onstage Wednesday night knowing next to nothing about the play they were about to perform.
They didn’t know who their characters were; they didn’t know the plot; and they certainly didn’t know the lines, which would be fed to them through earpieces.
Gugino had asked the director, Ben Kidd, for a little hint: Could they at least be told where the story was set?
'It’s just much more fun if you don’t know,' he told her."
Yes, please. I LOVE this experiment, but it does seem unfortunately limited in its ability to being performed only ONCE in any venue. To repeat the experiment would require not only a completely new cast, but relocation to another venue far removed from the original venue. Any notion of spoilers would detract from the performances, and produce a lesser quality experience for all involved. Even reviewing the show in the Times, or writing about it here, diminishes the potential for the fullest experience.
There is no specific mention as to whether/not, if, or how the information "piped through their earpieces" might change from one performance to another.
Still, IMO it's well worth it. What an incredible experience.
Updated On: 11/7/25 at 10:29 AM
