The Fucking Problem (FringeNYC)
Closed 1h 0m
The Fucking Problem (FringeNYC)
89

The Fucking Problem (FringeNYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets

89%
(8 Ratings)
Positive
100%
Mixed
0%
Negative
0%
Members say
Thought-provoking, Great acting, Funny, Ambitious, Relevant

About the Show

Part of FringeNYC: Two porn stars bared naked in front of the audience speaking bluntly without hesitation about the work they do. Their lives. Their loves. Their relationship. And eventually, when it becomes too much to keep hiding, their secret. Everyone's watching. Nobody's talking.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (8)

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138 Reviews | 87 Followers
85
Ambitious, Funny, Great acting, Edgy, Resonant

See it if You like Boogie Nights. A 3 dimensional complex look at the people who make their living doing porn. Asks difficult questions re sex & love

Don't see it if You want a comfortable evening at the theater

JR
140 Reviews | 27 Followers
84
Funny, Great acting, Thought-provoking

See it if you are open to very frank talk about the porn industry, s&m, and relationships.

Don't see it if you are a prude, hoping to be titillated, or are disturbed by violent sex.

4 Reviews | 3 Followers
95
Refreshing, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Riveting, Intense

See it if you want a nuanced and riveting look a complex problem between two complex people.

Don't see it if you cannot accept that porn stars are people.

5 Reviews | 1 Follower
85
Great acting, Resonant, Thought-provoking, Edgy, Intense

See it if you want an intimate theatrical experience; you enjoy frank discussions involving sex or pornography; you appreciate subtle realistic acting

Don't see it if you are uncomfortable talking about sex; you are easily triggered; you don't enjoy monologue-based shows.

1 Review | 0 Followers
100
Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Funny

See it if You're concerned about the issue of sexual consent

Don't see it if you're a child

1 Review | 0 Followers
95
Ambitious, Great writing, Raunchy, Thought-provoking, Relevant

See it if you want the historical background to modernity

Don't see it if you don't want a harsh view of our civilization

2 Reviews | 1 Follower
95
Great writing, Original, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Absorbing

See it if you are interested in insights into sex as a form of power

Don't see it if you mind graphic talk about sex and body parts.

1 Review | 0 Followers
90
Ambitious, Entertaining, Funny, Riveting, Great acting

See it if you like theater

Don't see it if you're triggered by sexual themes

Critic Reviews (6)

Time Out New York
August 15th, 2016

"A slender two-hander...There are valid dramatic questions, but the he-said-she-said format doesn’t bring them to the fore so much as double the noise and clichés. A third character’s outside perspective might have thrown the themes into high relief, or better writing would simply make the 60 minutes pass more pleasantly. Instead, we endure lame puns and trite analogies to string along shallow psychological insights. "
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Theatre is Easy
August 26th, 2016

"The direct address structure serves the fast-paced script...The performances by the play’s two co-writers, Emily Alexander and Nate Dobson, are unapologetic. These two care about the message they are sending out and use up every second of their time to get their individual points across passionately. Jessica O’Hara’s direction is minimal yet effective in keeping these characters in their own respective worlds and on their own personal journeys to a powerful climax."
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Theater Pizzazz
August 22nd, 2016

"A dramatic success…The carefully structured monologues are a real treat...Putting the audience at ease does more than let the jokes hit (they are hysterical), it lets them in to break our hearts...O’Hara-Baker is like a surgeon in the director’s chair. Her touch is nearly invisible, and the show runs seamlessly throughout as a result. Actor-Writers Alexander and Dobson earn their hyphenates with stellar performances...One of those rare nights of theatre that come and go too soon."
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Stage Buddy
August 14th, 2016

“What might surprise audiences about this play is the honesty with which it tackles sexuality, and the openness with which it challenges us to see beyond our preconceptions about the role of pornography, its performers and how we deal with anything related to genitals...The play takes a turn into an even darker place as it focuses on the notion of consent. It’s a bold move that feels absolutely enlightening, and also makes the play important without being heavy-handed.”
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A
August 22nd, 2016

"The play is thought-provoking and intense…'The Fucking Problem' is compelling and demands your complete attention…I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Fucking Problem' and I encourage you to see it. Both actors do a fine job portraying their characters and I hope to see both of them in other roles in the months and years ahead. Nate Dobson and Emily Lucia Alexander, as playwrights and performers, are destined for success and recognition in the New York City theater community."
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A
August 29th, 2016

"This is play about rape. Emily Alexander and Nate Dobson give compelling performances. The characters have an honest and realistic feel, and the back-and-forth dueling soliloquies do not feel contrived or forced. The questions are valid and disturbing. The script is every bit as dramatic as an Ibsen play, and falls short of being an impressive vehicle for possible social change by only a little. It is worth seeing if you are not easily distracted by graphic language."
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Trailer

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