The Amoralists: (No) Vacancy

This weekend I had the disembodied pleasure of spending some time in the Gershwyn Hotel on 27th Street to bear witness to The Amoralists' new pair of productions called Hotel Motel. These twin-bed shows both exemplify the essence of hotel - that displaced intimacy, that public space that houses private impulses - and the whole event leaves one aware of the great schism. The Amoralists excel at unrelenting acting and immersive interpretation; the shows probe and prod, at times uncomfortably and with the detachment of a physical exam. But we are in the hands of professionals. Derek Ahonen's "Pink Knees on Pale Skin" follows Innocence and Experience as they struggle to unite through sex therapy. And Adam Rapp's "Animal's and Plants" - a fever dream in a snow storm - is like whittling on a bone. Kudos to the teams and production for presenting this challenging work.