Sexy, witty, and refreshingly real, Champagne sparkles with sharp dialogue and emotional depth. Duncan captures the tension between desire and vulnerability in a beautifully honest, unforgettable encounter.

Watching Nicole overplay her hand in this tart, honest two-hander brought to mind Lena Horne's description of Pal Joey as someone who "ain't always quite as slick as he's s'posed to be." She's got her money and she's got her attitude and she's as alone at the ending as she was at the start, but her time with Steph had clearly disrupted her complacency about many aspects of her life.

The contrast is sharp between these two black women downing champagne together - one a well-to-do jive talker, the other a well-educated chemist who just moved to DC. But they're both looking for a connection at the same time they are both resisting one. Will they get past their mutual defenses and Stef's obsession with STDs to hook up? Will Nicole try that call again or just give up? The play's not saying!