←Recommendations of Eyes Shut. Door Open.

I saw this tightly wound play in production and welcomed the opportunity to read the script. Take three vividly drawn characters, place them in a confined space, and then unleash their competing interests. ESDO initially plays like a noirish tale in real time with alliances and deceptions continually unfolding. Then the haunting begins. The playwright has beautifully written and seamlessly constructed a story that is always a few steps ahead until we reach the explosive finale.

Watched a Zoom reading and was leaning forward virtually (ha!) the entire time. Seinuk has a penchant for dark, visceral human stories and this is no exception. There's a strong throughline for each character about different forms of addiction and coping mechanisms against the backdrop of the main character grappling with his artistic identity and coming to terms with his haunted past. Would love to see it in production.

I watched the streamed Zoom reading of this piece and was wholly engaged and thrilled throughout its entire running time! Seinuk has crafted three really complex characters and puts them in a powder-keg of a situation. The piece at once lives at a heightened and mythic pitch while also telling an intimate story of trauma, addiction, mental health struggles, and cycles of familial violence. The hauntings served to both punctuate the tightly-written scenes and raise the stakes/tension. I thought the startling intimacy and lyrical language worked well on Zoom--I'd love to see it in the flesh too!

I love when stories get an update. I'm a sucker for mythology/theological plays. I'm so glad I could experience Eyes Shut. Door Open. - it was right up my alley. It's lyricism has a nightmare-ish hypnotism about it that keeps you enthralled to the end. Definitely worth the read.

Seinuk knows her mythology, and drawing upon not just Genesis but also Greek and Norse mythology. Her allusions to and repetitions of mythological violence elevates Eyes Shut. Door Open. above the popular plot formula of dark domestic secrets revealed at a family reunion.

I reviewed the 2015 production by Wax Wings Productions for The Arts Fuse. The full review can be read here:

http://artsfuse.org/132576/fuse-theater-review-eyes-shut-door-open-cain…

In this updated Cain and Abel story, Cassie tempts us with characters who possess competing motivations and secrets that live just below the surface. Cassie leads us in and out of the past with a haunting lyricism that ignites our interest in following these troubled brothers on their tragic journey.

Cassie's writing is fresh, witty, and compelling. She is an energetic, disciplined, and supportive collaborative artist and playwright.