[spacer height=”0.1px”]Marcus David
November 2025
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Georgia Waehler, Nathan Darrow, photo by Russ Rowland
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By first impression Ali Keller’s (UN)CONDITIONAL appears to be a play in which two couples becoming sexually involved with each other, at least that was impression I had. However, the play takes a far more disturbing path.
Director Ivey Lowe takes a light touch and presents what one would expect in a sexually charged comedy, but there is something very dark and shocking lurking in that material that requires a trigger warning for the audience. The subject (UN)CONDITIONAL attempts to take on is the difficult subject of grooming and to do this presents quite a graphic moment between two characters, one that is an adult male and the other an eight year old girl (the role is performed by an actor in her 20’s).
This troublesome subject matter brings to mind Gertrude Stein and her use of the word inaccrochable, a French term she defined as unhangable, as in a piece of work that is too controversial or explicit for public display, like a painting that cannot be hung in a gallery. In Ernest Hemingway’s memoir A Movable Feast, Gertrude Stein describes Hemingways short story Up In Michigan as inaccrochable, because of its depiction of date rape. She advised the young Hemingway not to write that kind of story as it could damage his career. The story was eventually published but it sat in draw for years due to its controversial nature.
I wonder what Gertrude Stein would think of (UN)CONDITIONAL as it does approach what one might consider inaccrochable, by the standards she held in the 1920’s, yet does such a thing as inaccrochable even exist anymore. When one can go to Netflix and watch a depiction of Ed Gein have sex with the dead corpse of woman he dug up in a graveyard on camera then all bets are off and anything goes, making Stein’s protests about date rape in Hemingway’s short story seem quaint.
The production is well performed and the graphic moment mentioned earlier is effective yet possibly a bit too shocking for some.
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(UN)CONDITIONAL
September 19–October 26
Soho Playhouse
15 Van Dam Street, NYC
For more info on upcoming performances at Soho Playhouse →
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“Nobody’s really on a hero’s journey in the show. Everybody’s on a very human journey, which I think will ultimately be an emotionally cathartic experience for the audience.”
— playwright Ali Keller[spacer height=”20px”]
Soho Playhouse: “Thousands of artists and shows that you know and love have graced our stages. We pride ourselves on supporting and showcasing work that changes minds, encourages discussion, and opens hearts. Our mission is to create and showcase groundbreaking new theater from diverse voices and artists from across the globe. Iconic Off-Broadway theatre for local and international artists to share their messages with the world. Working on a symbiosis between stage and digital to keep Off-Broadway alive.”
