Closer Than They Appear is the latest iteration of Christine Evans' 2014 NYC world premiere of You Are Dead. You Are Here. While the first production depicted a drab government office transforming into a virtual reality world of war torn Iraq, I found that the environment really could be much simpler with just a rolling laptop and a chair so the action could flow back and forth between the virtual and real world in seconds.
Is it enough just to be “working on your sh*t?” In the safe spaces of a small liberal arts college, the student-led Men’s Peer Education Group and women’s Survivor Support Group work together on an ambitious plan to eradicate all sexual violence everywhere in just five years. They've got it all together -- until an incident throws their ideals into question.
North Korean sisters Minhee and Junhee are torn apart at the border as they attempt to flee the “Best Nation in the World.” Each must race across time and space to be together again—navigating the perilous “Land of the Free” and the treacherous terrain of personal belief. Chung’s fantastical, humor-filled play is a kaleidoscope of imagery and beauty, casting light on the darkness of a secretive regime while simultaneously illuminating American values from a unique perspective.
This is a Barrymore recommended production.
