Unseamly
About the show
Urban Stages presents this US premiere about a young woman struggling with sexism and hierarchy at a fashion company. More…
Malina has worked hard to earn a position at The Standard, a prestigious and popular international clothing company known for its risqué billboards of nearly-naked models. During Malina’s time there as a store manager, she faces harassment and assault from her higher ups. She is desperate to press charges, but her CEO boss, Ira, paints a picture of an opportunistic young girl he practically had to fight off. In a sexually-charged industry, what is ethical? What is the truth? And who is really getting hurt?
"The performances, under Sarah C Carlsen’s pitch perfect direction, are first-rate all around...The competing stories as they are played out are so outlandish, and the portrait of corporate greed and muck and the seductiveness of that 15 minutes of fame are so gloriously dramatized, that the whole evening takes on a biting, darkly comic edge that attracts as well as repulses." Full Review
"'Unseamly' is a winning production from start to finish. Oren Safdie’s topical tale is haunting and more thrilling than the endless news cycles that inspired it." Full Review
"'Unseamly' is a Mamet-style satire staged at hurtling velocity by Sarah C. Carlsen...I wish Mr. Safdie had come up with a punchier curtain, but otherwise 'Unseamly' is smart, fast, filthy and funny." Full Review
"The show sails smoothly, and the cast is uniformly sturdy. A late passage in which Adam, dripping with sarcasm, describes the media firestorm certain to attend Malina’s lawsuit, leaves a bitter aftertaste. But not as much as the awareness that the issues in 'Unseamly' aren’t likely to disappear anytime soon." Full Review
"I really wanted to like the new play 'Unseamly' at Urban Stages, because of how I feel about sexual predators and what women have to go through. This play however, does something I despise, it hurts real victims of sexual abuse. Especially when it shows a girl out for herself, claiming men and society made me do it." Full Review
"Sexual harassment has been a topic of conversation for some time, but whether Oren Safdie's 'Unseamly' adds anything to the welter of current examinations is questionable...'Unseamly' slowly changes from a play about sexual harassment into a soft porn charade with sexual harassment as its handy peg...The unpleasant irony is that 'Unseamly' ends up exploiting exactly what it pretends to be exposing." Full Review
"'Unseamly' succeeds only as a dramatization of how both the prosecution and the defense ultimately manipulate females if, and when, a case is brought to court...That this play is problematic in its representation of women is unfortunate. That this play does not make its factual influence explicit is tragic." Full Review
"No one likes being in a room filled with misogyny the entire time, nor do they like being in room where that tension easily fills the air the entire time. And it doesn’t help that the theater holds tops thirty people and the actors walk down the aisles to the stage that is mere feet away from the audience...If you want to be in a room filled with pauses and ill thought of moments, you can check out the play." Full Review
for a previous production "The material under examination is powerful and timely. Run don’t walk to this provocative piece of theatre, defended by a five star cast and design team. Expect to see 'Unseamly' picked up by many theatres elsewhere." Full Review
for a previous production "The boundaries facing the young protagonist seem almost insurmountable, which the lawyer points out many times during her flashbacks. The lawyer is looking for a solid case but can’t find one as she’s telling the truth of what she went through...I won’t spoil anything, but I do recommend that you see this play and witness a side that you might not have been aware of the fashion industry." Full Review
for a previous production "What I found refreshing about this play was that the young girl in question isn’t presented as some one-dimensional victim...Rounded off by an effective, minimalist set and clever, seamless transitions, this play is thoughtful, well-written and it circles around in your brain long after you’ve left the theatre. Definitely worth seeing." Full Review
for a previous production "This work is most cleverly written and never lets audience off the moral hook. It is a fine play, thought-provoking and inspiring of serious discourse. The set was somewhat cramped and the tech seemed out of control and unfocused, literally...This play is worth the trek into the arctic chill. It is thought provoking and really well acted, but do not take off your coats when you get there." Full Review
for a previous production "If art is all about the audience’s emotional reaction, 'Unseamly' was an undeniable success. On the other hand, I must be frank; I did not enjoy 'Unseamly...' If theatre is about making your audience feel good, or satisfied, or at least in some way more complete, then the play was a massive fail...To make a final assessment of this play, you would have to first define art, and I’m not stupid enough to open that can of worms." Full Review
See it if an intense portrayal of sexual harassment & the difficulties of attempting to get justice when the victim can be seen as complicit
Don't see it if you prefer a straightforward victim vs. predator presentation.
See it if Sharp provocative play about sexual harassment
Don't see it if Explicit sexual situations
See it if you're interested in how women are treated in business. "Unseamly" is an understatement. The boss's behavior is insidious. He's a slimeball
Don't see it if you don't want to see how a young woman can be mistreated
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