Can I Hold You?: A New Play on Asexuality by Kari Barclay

Alma is an asexual woman looking for love (minus the sex) in the hyper-sexual world of online dating. And it's not coming easy. Should she just pour her love into her asexual roommate Sammie, who wants a deep partnership but could care less for romance? Or should she take a chance on Phoebe, the sexual, saxophone-playing woman of her dreams, even though Phoebe wants sex and she doesn't? When Alma...
Alma is an asexual woman looking for love (minus the sex) in the hyper-sexual world of online dating. And it's not coming easy. Should she just pour her love into her asexual roommate Sammie, who wants a deep partnership but could care less for romance? Or should she take a chance on Phoebe, the sexual, saxophone-playing woman of her dreams, even though Phoebe wants sex and she doesn't? When Alma introduces Sammie and Phoebe to each other, all her calculations go haywire in this queer comedy exploring the complexities of intimacy and attraction for folks of all orientations.
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Can I Hold You?: A New Play on Asexuality

Recommended by

  • Alli Hartley-Kong:
    26 Feb. 2022
    “ This play tackles a difficult concept- the many ways to love people and exist in an oversexed world- and brings us into it with a warmth and humor. The playwright deftly crafts in lines and references that lead to a surprising and satisfactory ending. Well done! ”
  • Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn:
    21 Jan. 2021
    “ Human beings are so desperate to categorize and label things. They want to be able to just look at a person and know exactly who or what they are dealing with. This play battles with and eventually shatters the societal importance of all that. Kari Barclay may have given the world its first A-RomCom and it is wonderful! Not that it needs to be labeled at all. Essentially, this is just a great play you can sit back, learn from and enjoy! ”
  • Reinette LeJeune:
    20 Jan. 2021
    “ Such a wonderful and thoughtful exploration of some of the many variances of asexuality. I very much appreciate the messy ways in which these characters navigate their problems, misunderstandings, etc. Kari Barclay's humor is peppered throughout the serious moments, balancing the pace in an engaging, yet effortless manner. We are ushered in with a witty first scene, before delving deeper into the dense and rich conundrums of the play's heart with bittersweet glee. We need more theatre addressing such topics! ”
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Alma – female-identifying, late 20s, a queer asexual human looking for romance.
Finn – nonbinary, late 20s, a love interest who struggles to understand Alma’s sexuality.
Sammie – nonbinary, late 30s, of color, asexual roommate and best friend to Alma.
Phoebe – female-identifying, early 30s, a partner who wants to make it work with Alma.
James – male-identifying, early 60s, a bureaucrat from Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Teddy's Bar and Grill, Brooklyn
    ,
    2018

Production History

  • University
    ,
    Montclair State University
    ,
    2022
  • University
    ,
    Stanford University
    ,
    2018
  • Workshop
    ,
    San Francisco Mime Troupe Studio
    ,
    2018

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
Bay Area Playwrights Festival
,
2018