My overall impression
It’s Upstairs-Downstairs with some, ahem, very modern twists. Brilliant writing full of turns that never let you second-guess any of these characters. Also standing out in my opinion was the original use of two very different female leads as Act I & II bookends; through a combination of intuition and didactic reasoning, these two unapologetically intelligent and sexy female characters both question their given circumstances, and change their own seemingly inexorable fates. Without revealing too much, I loved that they also get to visit the other’s world (each during the other’s Act) for a brief, pivotal moment…
Jessica Moreno in particular shines as The Escort in the play’s title. This demanding role requires heart, New York savvy, a masters degree, a bikini, and more, but where she takes it is a joy to behold. Her multiple takes of porn acting in a hilariously scripted (and stilted) scene within a scene are sheer mastery.
