Zoom over to Nexus


W: We can stop.
M: Can we? 

 I've seen this play, Nexus, by Danielle Mohlman, twice online now, on Zoom. It really, really works. I'm going to watch it again on Friday, May 15.

Nexus has just two characters and they are played by a couple who already live together and are quarantined together, so they can do it in the same space, unlike a lot of other stuff that is online, and they can play the intimacy really well, therefore. The plot starts with the moment they meet and takes you through a couple of years of their life. The characters are played by a different couple each time.

You get the effect of being in an audience, too, because on Zoom, if you want to, you can see everyone else who is watching along with you. The first time I watched, they asked people to leave their mics and cameras on so you could hear people’s reactions, too.  Tonight when I watched they asked everyone to turn their cameras off.  But people stayed online after, turned their cameras on and chatted for a bit.  There is a group feeling.

Nexus is charming and utterly believable. One couple played it more cool and the other played it more hot but both versions had warmth, if that makes sense, that came through from the writing. I can’t wait to see what the next two actors bring to the table. The story has a good arc, from beginning to end.  Maybe "wave" is a better word than "arc," though.  There are ups and downs.  And there is a sort of cliffhanger toward the last half that you don’t know is a cliffhanger until the next scene starts. I loved the ending.

Here is the link to find the last three iterations of Nexus:
https://www.daniellemohlman.com/nexus 
There is a $10 suggested donation.  You’ll see me Friday if you log on, and who knows, maybe Saturday and Sunday, too. 

 Note/Update: I added the epigraph after seeing the play again on Friday, May 15, because those lines hit me again. 

Photo from the show page  

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