The Seeing Place Theater, known for
intensely intimate ensemble work, brings you Harold
Pinter’s "bizarre theatrical evening" of lust, cunning,
and costumes.
How far will you go to spice up your marriage? Do you need to go outside of it
to get the fulfillment you need? And what happens when
you cross the line? In Pinter's quintessential dark
and stormy bedroom farce, he examines a husband, a
wife, her lover, and the coping mechanisms people use
to survive the seven year itch.
(Photos by Natasha Straley. Click image for production photos.)

THE REVIEWS ARE IN!
Peter Filichia, Kritzerland - "The finest performances I saw this month came from Erin Cronican and Brandon
Walker, two young actors in two one-acters: Pinter’s
The Lover and Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,
courtesy of their theater company The Seeing Place.
I was so impressed at their naturalness; these kids
weren’t acting but had just happened to become the
characters, that’s all. I look forward to seeing
more at The Seeing Place."
Richard Cameron, The Examiner - "TOP PICK FOR THEATER IN NY. The Lover by Harold
Pinter at The Seeing Place Theatre is [billed as] 'untamed
theater at untamed price' but the acting in tamed,
trained and treacherous...These Equity union actors
are top in their craft right down to the accents, scene
work and production values...The conversations between
shows may just be the magic The Seeing Place Theater
wanted to brand.
Having shows in repertory allows theatre lovers to
talk about what they just saw and anticipate the following
play, both creating conversation about the art that
have just witnessed or what they are about to experience.
With the ticket price at $12. a play, a special price
of $20. for both plays, The Seeing Place has
created affordable theatre and a new brand of live
theatre
that could stick around NYC for years to come."
Will Kenton, Cultural Capitol - "A truly innovative theater company takes chances and goes the extra mile to entertain
you. The Seeing Place Theater goes the extra mile
by playing to the strengths of its members...In 'The
Lover' the act of being an actor is the central conceit
of the play, and Brandon Walker kills it, by turns
being an uptight,
sexually repressed, bourgeoise Brit and a brooding,
scuff-knuckled, East End seducer." Chris McKittrick, Daily Actor - "This is the third Seeing Place production that I’ve been invited to review this
season and perhaps the biggest compliment I can pay
them is that I make sure I have been there every
time...While Walker’s performance makes you question
Richard’s sanity, Erin’s Sarah moves from coy to
jealous and she highlights her performance with clever
nuances — like how her body language changes and
her cheerful humming when she’s waiting for her lover.
But this is a play tat has much more focus on the
male lead, and Walker handles his character’s perplexing
duality skillfully, even adopting an accent reminiscent
of Jon Voight‘s in Midnight Cowboy in a surprising
moment...What The Seeing Place puts on stage is constantly
worth seeing, proving that
The Seeing Place is one of the theater companies
worth noticing if you haven’t already."
Jennifer Szulman, ReviewFix - "Erin Cronican and Brandon Walker in their respective roles, have a playful chemistry
that is compelling, yet lighthearted...they are both
convincing and pleasing to watch.This is helped by
the theater’s ambiance...The audience, seated in
couch-like chairs, is so close to the stage that
it feels as though you are engrossed in the plight
of this bored married couple."
Erin McGuff, Woman Around Town - "Both
Cronican and Walker are capable performers with a
penchant for the tongue-in-cheek, and each possesses
enough confidence to inspire a commanding stage presence.
Two able actors, they handle the rich dialogue of
Pinter and Shanley with a good deal of awareness
and expertise...[they] capture the fun
and cheek of the play."
Patron Review, Theatermania - "Seeing Place Theater's "The Lover" is a Must-See! This evening I took a truly wonderful
journey with the actors of this exciting young company
as they presented Harold Pinter’s quietly disturbing,
funny, and beautifully-crafted one act, “The Lover.”
Erin Cronican, Brandon Walker, and Ned Baker Lynch
all offered up thoughtfully and carefully developed
performances that pulled the audience brilliantly into
that suspension of disbelief so necessary to good theater.
From the moment the house lights went down till the
bows at the end we were no longer in an intimate theater
on the fourth floor of an old courthouse on West 54th
Street but rather in a house in England, invisible
guests being treated to all the goings-on taking place
there. All this was directed marvelously by Ariel Francoeur
and with not a single moment where whatever was occurring
did not ring absolutely true. The evening was, in a
word, exhilarating...This is how theater ought to be!"
Patron Review, Theatermania - "I took in the Seeing Place Theatre's production
of "The Lover"/"Danny and the Deep Blue Sea" and would recommend it heartily. An interesting juxtaposition of two takes,
on both sides of the pond, of the gamesmanship played
in Eros and Aphrodite. Love and lust, the interplay
'tween, and the fears and trust tested therein. I enjoy
Pinter, and his wordscape, and it's interesting to
endeavour to discern where these characters truth lies
in their 'playtime'. Having already seen a number of
fine productions of this pleasantly priced troupe,
I look forward to further forays in their realms theatric."
Patron Review, AndyBSports - "A recent performance of “The Lover” by the great
playwright Harold Pinter was moving in both its performance,
and
later
with
the
thoughts of the two stars. Both Brandon Walker and
Erin Cronican excelled in performing the tricky Pinter
tale
of a married couple trying to
“spice up” their marriage in 1964 Windsor, England.
Walker, who is the founding artistic director for the
Seeing Place, a new creative theater group, shows his
versatility and excellent voice quality in playing
the roles of Richard and Danny. Playing opposite Walker,
Ms. Cronican, also the managing director of The Seeing
Place, gives a fine performance as the stay home wife,
who has a lover."
Patron review, Theatermania - "Great performance. Challenges your mind."
This show was originally presented in true repertory with a companion piece,
Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, performed by the same actors and same creative team - back to back on the same
day. Click here to read more about that production... |
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Cast of The Lover:
Richard - Brandon Walker*
Sarah - Erin Cronican*
John - Ned Baker Lynch
Creative Team:
Director - Ariel Francoeur
Producers - Erin Cronican* & Brandon Walker*
Stage Management - Preesa Adeline Bullington
Set Design - Michael Minahan
Costume Design - Preesa Adeline Bullington
Lighting Design - Sara Gosses
Sound Design - Sean Demers*
Social Media/PR Associate - Kathryn Schmitt
* = Member of AEA
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