←Recommendations of Ivories

Blueprint for contemporary horror theatre. Three guys in a haunted house — two were born guys, one's turning into their grandmother. The dead grandmother upstairs reminds one of Hereditary, but McCarthy goes further. Sloane isn't just haunted by the past, they're forcefemmed. The guys won't see Sloane as one of the guys so they become the castrating femme of nightmares. The revenge isn't empowering as we've come to expect through camp. It's harrowing. We do not cheer.

Sloane and Gwyn bring their troubled relationship into a troubled house, one with its own secrets and its own malevolent agenda. Everything is strange, including the people of the town and, especially, the mysterious neighbor. And the ailing grandmother--is she really in that bedroom? And what is really happening in the basement? And is Sloane completely going off the rails? And a box of dog teeth? Really? McCarthy skillfully lets the tension build, all the time leaving us desperate to figure out what exactly is at work, until the chaotic paranormal denouement. Wonderfully scary stuff from beginning to end.

"I want love to win, but I don't think it will."

That's what I said during That scene in Ivories by Riley Elton McCarthy. This is what the gold standard of horror theatre is, people! If you want a show that's if Hereditary, The Shining, and Haunting of Hill House had a baby with pronouns, this is the show for you. Read this immediately, read it again, then call me so we can scream about it.

A slow burn. Riley understands theatrical horror's necessities (and how to make a compelling read!), but this play is so much more. Gender expression, love and relationships, and generational trauma are all emphasized within this play. What do we watch: the play as written or are Sloan's words merging meta-textually with the script? Once you begin reading, it's hard to put down.

This play toys with the theatrical limits of its own medium, but even a minimalist production would understand and highlight the characters' interpersonal drama, which weaves naturally and honestly in between the skin-tingling horror.

They say the key to writing a compelling story is to visit trouble upon your characters. There is trouble caking the walls of IVORIES' central house, and no character can escape being mired in it. Brimming with horrific, visceral imagery and uncomfortable, complex relationship dynamics, Riley Elton McCarthy's IVORIES is a modern horror classic, a worthy creative challenge for any director seeking to stretch the limits of what theatre can do.

Holy SHIT. This is more than gothic horror, this is straight up horror in the vein of Hereditary and the Pillowman. The kind of disturbing theater that will take you a while to recover from. Riley manages to poke all of the most painful spots and turn trauma into the most depraved haunted house story. I love the love triangle at the center of this play, and their dialogue is just stunning. Want to see the play. Or the film.

So imagine if Coraline met queer-horrorcore but wrapped in a thick Southern Gothic level of tension; that's this play. Who needs Nightmare on Elm Street when you just have to step inside the house in Ivories...

This terrifying but propulsive and deeply psychological play captured my heart from the first word until the last. Between the three excellent and well-written characters, the refined and perfect pacing of the story, and its chilling climax, Ivories is one of the greatest new plays that has just as much bite as its bark. I would kill (maybe not literally) to see this on a stage one day, or maybe even on Broadway. This story and this playwright belongs there. Riley Elton McCarthy is extremely talented, we'll all know their name one day.

This is a dark, well-crafted horror play that catches your attention right away and holds on until the last word. Imaginative and original, I hope to see this fully staged. Brilliant.

Quite honestly this is one of my favorite plays I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I am simply obsessed with the bisexual representation in this play and the dynamic between these three bisexual friends who may all be a little more into each other than they let on. I don't think any other horror play quite achieves how emotionally damaging and terrifying this story is; but without any spoilers, the ending is really what makes this play work. Adding Gwyn to my dream roles slash future Tony winning role?