2.5 stars. i'm kind of over people creating provocative media and expecting that to be enough to carry them up the road to being called a genius. that's how we got gaspar noe, and i'm really sick of him.

not nearly as funny or radical as it thinks it is and all three acts are kind of like if you were to put a pot of water on the stove to boil and then shutting it off right as the bubbles start to form. it's like jeremy o. harris couldn't even figure out what he was trying to say after working in a bunch of psychobabble and very (intentionally) awkward and uncomfortable sex scenes, so he just decided to end it there because it's supposed to be ✨ abstract ✨.

there's a very delicate line between intention and execution and i don't really think slave play walks it very well. i think there are so many conversations to be had about the themes —sex, race, kink, plain and simple communication between partners, interracial relationships—but i also don't think this can really be groundbreaking if the material itself doesn't offer up any thoughts of its own. coming up with a good question isn't half as interesting as hearing what anyone has to say in answer. this play constantly leads you to these places and then just lets you sit there waiting while the characters cut each other off and never actually have a real breakthrough worthy of being called "bold".

maybe if there was some payoff at any point, i'd feel differently, but because every point of tension leads absolutely nowhere, it almost feels like it was done out of lack of trying because it was just expected for the shock value to be enough for the audience to give their five star reviews.