Photo courtesy Kith and Kin Theatre Collective
Kith and Kin Collective ‘Hypotheticals’
Shayne Patrick and Selena Mileweski in Kith and Kin Theatre Collective's ‘Hypotheticals’
Do strangers really kiss on elevators? Surely it must have happened, sometime and somewhere, but however strange, it’s the fast-moving plot device that pulls together the couple at the heart of Hypotheticals by Milwaukee’s Rebecca Anne Nguyen. The play has received readings at theater festivals around the U.S. and gets its first full staging this month by Kith & Kin Collective.
That kiss, which brings Blaise (Selena Milewski) together with the man who turns out to be her therapist, Jamie (Shayne Patrick), introduces a romantic comedy about difference. Turns out Blaise is “on the spectrum,” and no apologies are needed. Perhaps, as Jamie suggests, neurotypicals are simply on “a different operating system” than the neurodiverse, a situation akin to the distinction between Apples and Windows. “Once you understand someone’s operating system, you see that there’s not one way to experience the world, that there’s no superior way to be human,” Jamie adds.
“The play fits brilliantly into our mission. By exploring the nuances of neurodiverse dating, we land in that perfect area where audience biases are stretched and conversations are started, all while laughing and crying to a delightful romcom!” says Kith & Kin’s artistic director, Kimberly Labarge.
Kith & Kin dates back to Labarge’s 2022 production of Andrew Bovell’s Things I Know to be True. “Since then, we’ve been turning out high quality content with an intention to start conversations between family and friends around topics that land in the ‘grey area’” she continues. “Our mission at Kith & Kin Theatre Collective is to meaningfully engage with Milwaukee communities through relevant contemporary and classical programming that ranges from readings and workshops to full productions, opening opportunities of all sizes and commitment needs for all artists and audiences.”
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Directed by Maura Atwood with a cast that also includes Susan Kelly, Sarah M. Mankowski-Lathrum and Marzi Karami, Hypotheticals features quippy dialogue, salacious humor, Taiko drumming, and of course, a heaping of romantic comedy,” Labarge says. The show is “designed with an eye for the necessities, using simple sets to draw focus into the interpersonal relationships of our characters. Together, you can expect a warm, welcome evening full of laughter and heart.”
April 12-21 at Inspiration Studios, 1500 S. 73rd St., West Allis. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.kithandkintheatre.com/.
