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Directors Note:
How do we define intimacy: both on a personal level and on a societal level? In a world that often shames women for their sexual endeavors how do we, as women, navigate sexual intimacy? In a predominately hook-up based culture what kind of intimacy is most valuable: sexual intimacy, or emotional intimacy? These are just a few of the questions that have been floating through my head as we have been rehearsing Ashley Hutchinson's new play: One Night Standing. The cruelty in Hutchinson's work is that there are no definite answers to these questions. We see two people uncertain of what they specifically want from each other, but they are both aware that they need one another, if only for this one night. In this way, guy and girl represent all of us. We desperately need intimacy despite not knowing how, where or with whom we should fulfill this need. This disconnect manifests itself in different ways for guy and girl: but also for all of us. Additionally, Hutchinson investigates the sometimes uncomfortable and uneasy feeling of vulnerability that is inherent with any intimate act. The piece flips the traditional script of the "one night stand," allowing us to explore what a one time hook up would look like if we let ourselves be emotionally intimate instead of sexually intimate with a complete stranger. It's my hope that these vignettes, these slices of the night that guy and girl share, will not only bring you joy and laughter, but also give you the space to question what intimacy and vulnerability look like.