Afterglow
Afterglow
Closed 1h 30m NYC: Midtown W
74% 264 reviews
74%
(264 Ratings)
Positive
73%
Mixed
23%
Negative
4%
Members say
Thought-provoking, Relevant, Great acting, Absorbing, Great staging

About the Show

Midnight Theatricals presents the world premiere of this drama that explores the complexities of polyamory.

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Critic Reviews (18)

The New York Times
August 18th, 2017

"The frequent nudity is so willfully carefree that it ends up looking forced...Gay domesticity is turning out to be tough to dramatize, as evidenced by such flawed shows as...‘Dada Woof Papa Hot’ and ‘Steve'...The soap-operatic 'Afterglow' doesn’t even reach their level...It has funny moments, albeit of the inadvertent kind...The best joke of all, intended or not, may be the sly jab at the cult of youth among some gay men: Josh is having a midlife crisis — at the ripe age of 30."
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Theatermania
June 23rd, 2017

"Initially stimulating but ultimately flaccid...The story becomes as predictable as a headache after a bender...Haagenson, Reilly, and Simpson do their best to rise above the limitations of the script, but they can't overcome the fact that none of these characters is particularly interesting...The most disappointing thing is that it seems to promise and then fails to deliver a thoughtful discussion of polyamory...In the end, the play leaves us not so much with an afterglow as an anticlimax."
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Lighting & Sound America
June 29th, 2017

"The playwright, S. Asher Gelman, lets everyone speak his piece, exhaustively, with no cliché left unturned...If 'Afterglow' had been written with a modicum of wit, it might have made for a passable entertainment, but there isn't a single really amusing line over the course of two hours...What keeps 'Afterglow' passably watchable is the three talented young actors who -- very occasionally -- manage to endow these paper figures with something that passes for flesh and blood."
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TheaterScene.net
August 17th, 2017

"Insightful, highly theatrical and fiercely acted...Mr. Gelman’s scenario and plot developments are well observed and true to life in their predictability. Gelman’s dialogue is realistic and perfectly crafted with flavorful simplicity...Despite the inevitability of its finale, 'Afterglow' is quite engrossing. Its dazzling production elements magnify its achievements...The actors all give bold, brave and intense performances that transcend stereotypes."
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Theatre is Easy
June 23rd, 2017

"Certainly Gelman has staged the play well...And the design is first-rate...Unfortunately, we end up with three people who are all kind of the same...Certainly the actors do what they can to add dimension...If at times the actors veer too quickly into heightened emotion, this is largely the result of Gelman’s script...The insularity and entitlement of all this is not only astonishingly tone-deaf, given contemporary conversations about privilege, but also makes for a weaker play."
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Theater Pizzazz
July 3rd, 2017

“A substantial drama with believable characters whose emotions are real and tug at the heart...Gelman skillfully creates three real people whose strengths and weaknesses make it difficult to judge their actions…Gelman leaves a great deal up in the air, just as such a situation would end in real life…Gelman directed his play to give each character his full worth. All the emotional ups and downs are clearly communicated. The play moves along with increasing speed to its finale.”
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Front Mezz Junkies
June 23rd, 2017

"Although their are numerous scenarios that feel unnecessary and hard to believe, Gelman with his cast of three very beautiful and talented men know how to keep our attention...They play out their overly long and slightly melodramatic tale that delivers few surprises in story line and character development...The three actors are impressive though, turning the material into something that feels honest and heartfelt, even as it drags out the romanticism of the doomed pair."
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R
June 23rd, 2017

“‘Afterglow’ is the bittersweet story of a polyamorous relationship that ultimately brings emotional problems to the couple at the core. Beautifully acted by Brandon Haagenson, Robbie Simpson and Patrick Reilly, the play may be too slow or have too much nudity for some audiences—but it is well worth it. The cast brings honesty to the proceedings. You can fully feel the growing bonds between all three of these men, which gives audiences a real stake in the outcome.”
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