←Recommendations of Infatuation

In Alyssa, Palladino has given us a rich, fascinating character of a young woman grappling with sexual harassment at work and turmoil in her personal life. While the play’s conversations on science, attraction, politics, and art are compelling and often downright fun, it was the three complex characters at its core that really had me hooked. Witty dialogue and palpable tension drive the story forward with both urgency and ease.

What does it mean to know yourself in the age of meticulous self-awareness? And what does it mean to love someone? Hallie Palladino explores both questions with courage and hilarity in Infatuation. I especially enjoy the fact that so full a story is told through scenes among just three characters, the members of a love triangle (one of whom is unwitting). It always simmers, but comes close to a delightful boil whenever all three are in the room together.

This play exists inside the complexities of relationships on the verge, but this is certainly not simply a play about relationships. "Infatuation" is about sexual harassment, male dominance in academia, art, love, and.... infatuation. There are no heroes or villains, there are simply humans with plenty of warts, and just as much love. Of the many quotable moments, I loved this the most: "What do we do with all these feelings?" "We feel them."

INFATUATION is a bold and complex story about the impact of sexual harassment on a woman's personal life. As she grieves the loss of her dream job, she makes a mess of her personal relationships in an attempt to regain her power. Spare, smart dialogue pair drives this play that also features a dynamite female protagonist!

This is a play that makes you want to act again. The female character Alyssa is so complex, real, and flawed, it makes you go, oh right, women are humans too.

I was hooked from the first page -- spare writing contrasts with big huge human wants and fears, and the combination made for surprising laughs and strange moments of rooting for the completely wrong thing. All three characters feel real and alive, and the exploration of sexual harassment within the context of desire is fascinating and thought-provoking.

I was honored to see the playwright perform a scene from INFATUATION at Ojai Playwrights Conference and I was so taken by her words and her wit that I NEEDED to read the entire play for myself.

The play did not disappoint. A smart romantic comedy about desire, love and the difference between the two. Palladino addresses sexual harassment in the workplace in a real and vital way without creating an after-school special. The play remains human without forgiving the harasser.

Excellent play. Read it. Produce it. And maybe even let yourself fall in love...

An engaging portrait of a woman who thinks she knows what she wants but in reality has no idea. The three-character play with one woman at the center of a love triangle between two best friends is reminiscent of Pinter's BETRAYAL. Although no physical consummation ever occurs between the two would-be adulterers, there is certainly an emotional betrayal. Filled with intelligent dialogue, it is a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be in love, one's values, and the vulnerability of stability.