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...

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