“Conversations After Sex” at the Irish Arts Center (2023) – Review/ Summary

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“Conversations After Sex” may do itself a disservice by not naming its character or having different men play the lead’s lover, but it still delivers in many ways.

Director(s)	Tom Creed
Writer(s)	Mark O’Halloran
Venue or Network (Irish Arts Center)	726 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
Performance Date	March 2, 2023
First Performance At This Venue	February 22, 2023
Last Performance At This Venue	March 11, 2023
Venue URL	https://irishartscenter.org/event/conversations-after-sex
Tickets Starting At	$25
Genre(s)	Play, Comedy, Drama, Young Adult
Duration	85 minutes
Noted Performers
The Woman	Kate Stanley Brennan
Various Men	Fionn Ó Loingsigh
The Sister	Clelia Murphy

Summary

Taking place in a series of bedrooms, or rooms with beds, over nearly a year, we watch an unnamed woman, with a handful of different lovers, have sex, fight, and even sometimes be vulnerable beyond their nakedness together. For as the men deal with the death of a parent or a past relationship, the woman is dealing with mourning her ex and everything he was to her, both good and bad.

Things To Note

• Dialog: Cursing throughout, almost to the point it is every other sentence and discussion of suicide
• Violence: A implied sexual assault
• Sexual Content: Frontal and back nudity of men and women, also
• Miscellaneous: Drinking alcohol and drug use (cocaine and weed)

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

The Woman

Months separated from her ex killing himself, and recently inheriting her father’s house and some money; currently, the Woman has the luxury of life being still. She doesn’t work or even pursue many hobbies, but she likes to party, smoke, drink, and have sex. So, that is what she primarily does, as well as keep the house up.

The Brazilian

A fairly recent immigrant to Ireland, 4 years to be exact, The Brazilian is kind, seemingly without an alive parent, and reminds the Woman of the softness of her ex and his vulnerability.

The Kid

A 21 year old musician, who recently flunked out of school, who the Woman meets at least once.

The Drug Connoisseur

The Drug Connoisseur might be one of the Woman’s favorites. He, like The Brazilian, she can talk to, but there is something more fun about DC. It’s not just the partying, the weed, the coke, and all that, but also the out-there conversations he initiates and experiences he brings to the bedroom.

The Nameless Man

The man who wants to remain nameless finds himself drawn to the Woman but unable to say he loves her. At times, he talks about her like a rash he can’t help but scratch or a comforting tick he just can’t break. But, he isn’t just nameless because of his inability to love her but also because he often uses her as someone to cheat with or get his fix when horny.

The Ex

Mentally ill, to the point of going into a downward spiral, The Ex was lovely and vibrant at one time, all the Woman could want. However, as he was drowning, no matter what she did, she found it was never enough, and eventually, he stopped flailing and let himself go under.

The Sister

The Woman has a married sister with children, with whom she clearly has some issues with. It could do with their upbringing, her getting the house, and other things. But it could also be the freedom the Woman has that the sister now does not. This envy gets in the way of their relationship and adds yet another wall to surmount for them to be on better terms.

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Average Experience)

Highlights

Understanding What Attracts People To Troubled Minds

It’s often romanticized the persona of a bad boy or someone troubled and the idea you can help them, change them, or make them happy. But, I would submit “Conversations After Sex” looks to get past that. Through watching the Woman sleep with multiple men, all troubles in one way or another, you can see the draw beyond the superficial.

For example, listening to The Brazilian talk about the loss of his dad or another who was losing his mother, there is a vulnerability in that. Vulnerability is such an intoxicating hook to some, for it presents the idea of trust, openness, and the idea you are special for knowing this very personal thing about someone. Then, with the man without a name, yes, there is bickering and fighting, and he even had chlamydia at one time, but there is something about the excitement. Yes, an excitement that can become toxic and a shouting fest, but with how dull and routine life can get, having someone who can rile you up and get your blood pumping can create an unhealthy excitement.

Heck, even in the case of the drug guy – drugs, whether self-prescribed or by a medical doctor, allow for an escape, a crutch, a distraction, and as addictive as they can be, again, there is a consistency there. You know what you are going to get, and with the drug guy, like with the man without a name, a guaranteed stimulating experience is there.

Mind you, the men aren’t looking to be long-term, romantic partners, and it is arguable who may have real potential. But, sometimes, troubled people are the company your own misery longs for. So, while not good for personal growth, depending on the person, they can be good to get you through a hard time.

Criticism

With No Names Mentioned, It Can Be Hard To Know What Guy The Lead Actress Is Talking To

There is only one man, Fionn O Loingsigh, who plays at least five men. Now, if he changed his voice, wore specific outfits, or something like that, it wouldn’t be such an issue. However, with the only difference between the men being what they talk about, it really forces you to rely on cues to know which one is cycling back into the Woman’s life at any given time.

If the person is doing drugs with the Woman, that’s the drug guy. If she is arguing with them a lot, it is likely the guy who cheated on his girlfriend. That’s how you’re forced to operate for while there are breaks between each guy, in which you get a month, location, and time of day, being that sometimes the men don’t just have sex with her at a hotel, but her place, it doesn’t prove much clarity. It just lets you know how much time has passed since she met anyone.

This ultimately makes moments like her being potentially assaulted confusing since you don’t know if that was a random man or maybe one of the ones she deals with acting out of character.

On The Fence

The Sister

The best thing about the sister is that she breaks up the cycle of watching the Woman and whoever she is sleeping with put on their undergarment and either have small talk or dig deep into the vulnerability of the moment. Also, since the Woman seems to often try to be the ear for these men, maybe to compensate for whatever she didn’t feel she heard from her ex, the sister is one of the few who she isn’t simply reacting to.

But then comes a potential issue of the sister’s story. Her marital issues are far more talked about and explored than whatever happened between her and the Woman. So as much as she could give us insight about the Woman, beyond what she may tell the men who she sleeps with, she doesn’t. This missed opportunity almost makes you wonder why even note this woman is the Woman’s sister, rather than a friend? For it just makes her feel extra. Not extra in a way where she was wasteful, but extra in such a way where, being included is nice, but if she was cut, it wouldn’t be a loss.

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