Squeamish
About the show
All For One Theater presents a new solo horror show about a New York City psychoanalyst and recovering alcoholic whose bloody quest for personal balance begins when she finds herself in Texas after her nephew's suicide.
... Read moreThe third play in Aaron Mark's cycle of Sit-Down Tragedies after 'Empanada Loca' and 'Another Medea,' 'Squeamish' is a grotesque tale of phobia and compulsion, a minimalist work of psychological horror about craving what terrifies us most. Starring two-time Tony nominee Alison Fraser.
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"'Squeamish' is ultimately, too shaggy and in need of greater restraint. But Fraser, slipping smoothly in and out of a half-dozen smaller characters besides Sharon, never loses command. Though we see the play’s considerable gore — and its hard-core-niche sexual situations — only through the mind’s eye, 'Squeamish' is probably not for the squeamish. But to grown-ups who like to celebrate the season with frightful tales, happy Halloween. Mark has a fresh horror for you." Full Review
“A voyeuristic experience…Fraser gives a deceptively charming portrait of a clever woman who would be the hit of any penthouse cocktail party, slowly revealing her seductive darker side. Her ability to remain engaging while being seated for the entire length of the play is a credit to the details of her acting skills and the fine pacing of the playwright/director's surprising story…Mark once again displays a sharp skill for descriptive and entertaining storytelling.” Full Review
"There’s something unsettling about watching a solo show that’s been expressly written for its star and yet thinking she may be miscast, or at least under-rehearsed...Fraser doesn’t land most of the laughs as our neurotic narrator in the play’s first half, which is all setup. But once Sharon starts to lose herself in addiction, Fraser delivers real chills. As we watch this sophisticated and stylish New Yorker gleefully transform into a monster, her gory self-discovery is utterly horrifying." Full Review
“It's easy to feel one step ahead of the narrative—and impatient to get on with it...If Mark hasn't provided a sufficiently gripping narrative, he has found the right woman for the job...In contrast to the rather contrived and mechanical shocks that mark the plot, Fraser's performance conveys an animal-like terror that cannot be dismissed...Her unswerving commitment and intensity in the face of a difficult script once again proves that she is a class act, no matter the circumstances.” Full Review
“Fraser gets deep under Sharon's skin, into her very veins, you might say, carving with scalpel-like precision a character who…soon sucks you into the reality of her nightmarish experiences…You have to suspend your disbelief for much of it, most especially the surprise ending…It's the creepy crawlies in Sharon's psyche that create the goosebumps; Aaron Marks's words and Alison Fraser's acting are all the special effects you need to crawl in there with them.” Full Review
“There Fraser is, taking on an actor’s challenge that’s also a challenge for the audience. Squeamish is right... As she goes on in a piece that has the flavor of something a leering camp counselor might import to trembling youngsters around a campfire, it’s a challenge for auditors to hang in...Fraser clings on to the telling as Dracula might after having sunk his teeth into Lucy’s neck. She’s committed to the script whether or not the audience is beginning to lose patience.” Full Review
“Aaron Marks’s ‘Squeamish’ is like an Alfred Hitchcock episode in the capable hands of Alison Fraser...She shines in this piece, as she layers Sharon’s quirks and idiosyncrasies, like the razor blade that allows her to finally free her inner turmoil. Frasier uses her voice and her subtle movements to convey every emotion and change of character. ’Squeamish’ is the perfect horror story and would make a great campfire fright night tale.” Full Review
"The one woman horror show, directed cleanly and precisely by Mark, is very well served by the two-time Tony nominated actress, Alison Fraser. From the moment of her entrance, her presence and her performance draws us into her reality completely...Even though the ending is pretty predictable and there are moments when the story drags a bit, together, Fraser and Mark still manage to thrill us...Not a horror show in the traditional sense, but it is a bloody good time." Full Review
"Aaron Mark, the playwright and director, has quite a ghoulish imagination...It’s a constant output of free flow chatter...Unfortunately, with Alison’s unique speech pattern, she’s sometimes difficult to understand and the results sound like mumbling. Don’t get me wrong, Alison Fraser is a top notch actress as she tackles the several characters with subtle voice changes, all the while remaining in the chair...This is all very nightmare-ish and, as my show buddy described, it’s Hitchcock-ian!" Full Review
"This play, as commendably directed by its author, delves into the dark and repressed areas of human behavior, but with enough funny moments to keep you both off guard and on board…Her complicated and purposely circuitous narrative is delivered glibly by Fraser and with more than enough mysterious detours to keep us wondering where we are being led...With her quirky, scarily quixotic performance, Fraser makes seamless transitions...The payoff will be a stunner." Full Review
"Ninety-five gripping minutes…The audience can’t look away…Mark and Fraser do an exquisite job of intricately describing scenes that might lead some audience members to experience bloody nightmares, but that’s a small price to pay for witnessing this engrossing piece of theater…‘Squeamish’ lives up to its name, offering plenty of squeamish moments, highlighted by a superbly nuanced performance by Fraser, who seems to be enjoying every bloody minute of it, along with us." Full Review
“Fraser's terribly nervous and jittery as she starts to relay Sharon's somewhat convoluted story, gripping the arms of the chair with her hands or clenching her knees together--even as she says, ‘I really am calm now.’ She's been directed by the playwright with what might be aptly termed an exhilarating reserve. ‘Squeamish’ is definitely a ‘horror’ play that takes the genre to new and higher heights. It's hard not to recoil as the details of her story become more and more vivid.” Full Review
"Alison Fraser interprets with vocal acrobatics. Fraser’s posture is active and forceful in its sudden shifts. She inhabits several characters to interact with in her storytelling. The frenzied jumps from one idea to the next make the first half of Aaron Mark’s full-length monologue crackle with character development, giving us new information from every angle, feeding us breadcrumbs...It’s a haunting journey of one’s own imaginings in the semidarkness. Vivid dreamers beware." Full Review
"Her story reveals the insatiability of human need and the lengths people will go to feel better...By placidly recounting gruesome events, she makes the audience uneasy and a bit queasy. Sharon purrs and coddles us while conveying dark secrets and some startling truths with equal parts humor, sex appeal, and downright creepiness...So effective, I left the theater feeling somewhat off-balance myself, and not a little squeamish.” Full Review
for a previous production "A horror-laced monologue about the aftermath of a suicide that will likely twist your innards...That’s the play—for 100 straight minutes Sharon talks nonstop, reflecting, parsing, digressing...Fraser is masterful at presenting the character as both contemptible and sympathetic. That said, 'Squeamish' is not for the squeamish; some of the sexual predilections and social encounters will likely turn many a stomach. It’s theater at its most provocative. Consider yourself warned." Full Review
See it if Alison Fraser is phenomental in this superb one-woman show full of twists, turns, and nice dashes of horror!
Don't see it if While never shown, there are descriptions of gore that might not sit well with the... well... squeamish.
See it if you love the terrific Alison Fraser.
Don't see it if you can't handle talk of blood (it's just talk).
See it if you want to see an extremely well acted monologue, describing some very dark & gruesome acts.
Don't see it if you are a bit squeamish, even though the graphic, vivid, but sick acts are only verbally described. You want a show with action.
Also Although it moves slowly, the show is intense and extremely well acted... Read more Read less
See it if You want to see a seamless & engaging tour de force by Fraser, fully on, committed & inventive, to the smallest gesture, & in total control.
Don't see it if You have no patience, don't like monologues, solo plays or the dark — literal or figurative.
Also Alison Fraser delivers a quiet, subtle and thoroughly engaging tour de... Read more Read less
See it if You like well acted intense, engrossing plays
Don't see it if You don’t like solo shows. However this play is so well performed... if you don’t mind feeling squeamish
See it if enjoyed getting to see alison fraser
Don't see it if this was not a play; this was someone sitting in a chair for 90 minutes telling a (not very) scary story
See it if you want to see the fabulous Fraser sink her teeth into a fresh & unexpected horror story & give a gripping, subtly eerie solo tour de force
Don't see it if you have hemophobia; you need special effects and high production values to spoon-feed you your thrills. [This is real theatre of the mind.]
See it if You like intense monologues, Allison is great.
Don't see it if You need character interaction. My mind wandered halfway, but the ending is great.
See it if You want 90 minutes of master acting. Alison Fraser is masterful and griping.
Don't see it if You dislike stories of blood, death and high anxiety. The story and the theatre is very, very dark.
See it if You enjoy long-form pieces that play with elements from the horror genre.
Don't see it if You dislike podcasts or one-person shows. This relies heavily on text rather than performance or staging.
See it if for the extraordinary performance of Alison Fraser.She shows a willingness to take surprising bold risks with this role.Chilling and intense
Don't see it if you prefer something funny, light and fluffy.
See it if Manhattan therapist with problems goes on a journey to the dark side. Delicious triumphant black comedy. Plot twists. Great acting.
Don't see it if You don’t like vampire stories. You don’t want to hear graphic descriptions of blood gorged events.
See it if you have an interest in the psychopathology of unusual fetishes and are not upset by otherwise revolting topics
Don't see it if you are revolted by unusual fetishes and behavior
See it if Solo performance about bizarre & dark occurrences remarkably performed by Fraser while seated in her therapist's chair. Persuasive & compel-
Don't see it if ling but needs editing. Yes, the subject matter gets dark and graphic but bring your sense of humor as well.
See it if you enjoy edgy solo performances and have a strong stomach. The show is all dialogue, so you’ll also need an active imagination.
Don't see it if the thought of blood terrifies you, or you need visual stimuli.
See it if you want to see a tour-de-force performance by Alison Fraser. She is magnificent handling a 90+ minute monologue.
Don't see it if you are looking for a fully staged production or a fun show. This is a stationary, long monologue. I guessed the final twist immediately.
See it if You enjoy a sick and twisted tale told well. The art’s all in the telling and Fraser’s a consummate professional.
Don't see it if You want a big, meaningful moral, or would be uncomfortable listening to taboo acts described in vivid detail in public.
Also The critics’ reviews are giving a bit too much away of this show. If y... Read more Read less
See it if You want to hear a one-sided psychoanalytical talk about funny family vampirish issues but so revel ant. Very humorous and dramatic
Don't see it if Not into solo shows or psychoanalytical issuses
Also This show was fabulous Alison Fraser was fantastic. She kept you glued... Read more Read less
See it if you don't mind a 1 woman show of mostly talk less action- like reading a book where you will have to visualize the narrative in your mind.
Don't see it if you want an active show or dislike monologue It has a morbid & surprising plot but not as gory if you've seen/read a lot of horror stuffs.
Also On the good side - Ms. Fraser was captivating- as she changes into var... Read more Read less
See it if You want to see a great performance from a woman who does a magnificent job telling a very detailed and graphic story.
Don't see it if If you can’t handle a one person show. I normally don’t go to one person shows but I made an exception for this because of the subject
Also I hope no one reads all these reviews on here and decided not to go to... Read more Read less
See it if you want to witness Alison Fraser's magnificent performance, like shows w/ clever endings, enjoy creepy storytelling & off-kilter characters
Don't see it if you would prefer a show with more visuals and more than one actor. Drink a coffee before the show because the lighting is very dim.
See it if Another one of Mark's solo psycho-dramas, this time involving a sanguinous cult A tour-de-force for Fraser who kisses the heart of darkness
Don't see it if Well staged despite the static underpinings of the script Fraser spurs us over the more grand guingol aspects of the drama (aka the ending)
See it if you enjoy other-worldly stories or would be interested in a psychological drama.
Don't see it if you do not like one-woman shows or do not care for fantastical stories, e.g. about vampires.
See it if you are looking for a good old-fashion story telling experience with a shocking conclusion you DON’T see coming!!!!
Don't see it if you live in a bubble and believe that there is only goodness inside of all of us.
Also Sometimes what’s brings us to an experience turns out to be even more ... Read more Read less
Cast & Creatives (5)
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