“This is a truly fascinating play. The kind of deeply fascinating that makes your eyes dry up because you just don’t want to blink and miss anything. It’s a brilliant piece. Full of pain and humor and awkward attempts at soul adjustments. I found it riveting, mournful and hilarious in the most acutely real and acutely absurd ways. This strange and gorgeous play is a revelation. The performances sublime and the writing astonishing and profound. If you can, see it, if you can’t…try harder.”
- Samantha Simmonds / Noho Arts District Review
“This piece is beautiful, mesmerizing and sad – I’m not going to lie to you – bring the tissues and open your heart but don’t be afraid. Lindsay Beamish and Vanessa Peters have constructed the world of this theatrical experience so expertly that you are able to experience all they go through without having to take the weight of it with you. In other words, without explaining a thing, they make their story very clear and ultimately give us hope for a future where their pain, and whatever our pain might happen to be, is ultimately something we can bear.”
- Christine Deitner / The Theatre Times
“An incredibly moving and stylish piece performed beautifully by the two players. The play writes honestly about loss as a distilled and concentrated thing, dosed with humor that acts as a buffering agent, until it can’t anymore. Lindsay Beamish and Vanessa Peters deftly convey some gut-wrenching stuff in a way that’s relatable and even funny in this slightly removed world. And that is why one goes to the theatre.”
- Shereen Khan / Certified Reviewer
“FANTASTIC. This show had me thinking about it hours later, trying to wrap my head around this beautiful and distopian universe these talented women created. I was absolutely blown away. The writing was sharp, sometimes extremely humorous and other times so serious and real you find your breath starting to shorten. Inspiring, thought-provoking and genuinely one of the best things I have ever seen. We couldn’t stop talking about it for hours after, I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
– Christine Covode / Certified Reviewer
“This show is mesmerizing. Full of mystery and pathos. Beautifully executed by two seasoned performers who hold your attention so well. There was laughter and tears, sweeping back and forth organically between the poles. A very enjoyable and artful night at the theatre.”
- Liza Cardinale / Certified Reviewer
“THE INSTITUTE FOR THE OPPOSITE OF LONGING was a beautiful, witty and personal exploration of loss… the vulnerable performances given by both actors was riveting. This show is what great theatre should be…an interesting script and two talented actors brilliantly bringing it to life. Bravo!”
- Bert Rotundo / Certified Reviewer
“This was a fascinating show. Equal parts heartbreaking and (oddly) inspiring. I was completely blown away by this world that these two incredibly gifted artists created and how they were able to pull you into it within the first few minutes. The vulnerability, sheer talent and connection of the two actresses, the world they created, the dynamic approach they took to exploring a universal theme in a moving and powerful way. These two actresses were so vulnerable, so open, so human, it was nothing less than mesmerizing to watch. If you want to see what Fringe is all about, go see this show.”
- Jim Martyka / Certified Reviewer
“The Institute for the Opposite of Longing was absolutely gorgeous. It touched on every emotion of the human experience and left me feeling alive, as well as pondering my own longings and relationship to grief and loss.”
- Tamala Poljak / Certified Reviewer
“This amazing show left me thinking 2 things “what do I long for in life” and “how do I respond to the longings that can’t be met”. These 2 extraordinary actors allow you to see into the life of people whose longing dwells in the deepest parts of them. The “pit” if you will. And how it affects their lives. If you get a chance please go see this show! You won’t regret it.”
- Jared McClure / Certified Reviewer
“The chemistry Between Beamish and Peters was magnetic- performers that have rapport and fluidity with each other. They take each other in and react to what is being given to them- which seems like something that should always happen, but these ladies did so effortlessly. PROS. The kind of brilliance and beauty that reaches your inner soul, and reminds you the power that art- when from a genius and pure place, can have.”
- Scott Langer / Certified Reviewer
“Loved the show! Lindsay and Vanessa have a wonderful chemistry on stage that is palpable. The fine tuned staging is beautifully choreographed and is powerfully organic. The acting is superb as the characters maneuver through of pains of loss and subtle joys of memories that they long to keep alive in the present.”
- Jeremy Sapp / Certified Reviewer
“This show gutted me, and I am so glad I saw it. Everything about it was truly excellent. I should have brought tissues.”
- Lindsay Thompson / Certified Reviewer
Please enter the Opposite of Longing Chamber and state your primary symptom of longing. And where do you feel it in your body? And how much do you feel it on a scale of 1 to 10? And are you running out of time?
The Institute for The Opposite of Longing can cure that thing deep in the pit of your body. But what happens when its owners and operators can’t let go of the little boy they had to give back? And can’t stop reenacting the day they packed his bags and watched him go. Or tucking him in at night or talking to his empty shoes or unpacking the bag of his things they keep hidden. What happens when these are the women who are responsible for curing that thing, that thing you feel deep in the pit of your body?
Please enter the Opposite of Longing Chamber. We can help you. The process is simple.
