Drew Wall, Natalie Young and Alex Organ star in Second Thought Theatre’s “Red Light Winter” opening Thursday, April 21. (David Leggett/ Second Thought Theatre)
The line between pornography and art is a hotly debated subject, and one that is likely to be brought up in Dallas with the upcoming openings of two shows containing nudity.
Dallas Theater Center is staging “Caberet,” which even has somewhat scandalous advertisements.
Second Thought Theatre is mounting an even more controversial, graphic show with “Red Light Winter.”
Directed by Regan Adair, this Obie-award-winning, Pulitzer-Prize-nominated script by Adam Rapp, is the unflinching story of two friends, Matt (Drew Wall) and Davis (Alex Organ), who take a trip to Amsterdam where they enter into a love triangle with Christina (Natalie Young), a prostitute in the Red Light District.
The play has been praised for its exploration of the brutal complexities of human interaction and the ways in which emptiness is filled. “Red Light Winter” also garnered a lot of attention for the ample amount of nudity and graphic sexual content that takes place on stage.
“There is a vulnerability required of the actors that far outweighs the graphic nature of the show,” Adair said. “It requires a real sense of abandon or it doesn’t work, I’m fortunate to have a cast that really allows themselves to go there.”
The long sex scene between Wall and Young will be the first time either one of them has been naked on stage.
“When I read about the sexy time that happens with my character, I sort of freaked out,” Wall said. “I thought to myself, ‘well, I guess I’m doing this.'”
Young turned down a play a year ago that had a short topless scene in it. She said that she accepted this play because of the way that it handles the content.
“There are plays with excessive content without any justification,” Young said. “But with this play it’s earned. It’s really beautiful.”
Wall said even though he’s been looking for a part like this for a while, he still gets nervous.
“It’s one thing to say you want to do nudity and another to actually have to take your pants off,” Wall said. “You just have to embrace it, you can’t cheat anything. But it’s kind of freeing.”
It seems that “Red Light Winter” has burrowed itself under the skin of the cast and the director.
All three actors admit that the haunting element of the play is not the nudity or the sexual content, but the delicate vulnerability of the story they are telling.
“The emotional nakedness is there because of the truth that is written into the script,” Organ, whose character has the least amount of nudity, said. “Ultimately, it’s rewarding.”
With significant others and family supporting their craft and making plans to see the show, the cast said there is a trace of awkwardness due to the content.
Young informed her father that he shouldn’t attend the show. All three said they were grateful to be dating fellow artists who understand the importance of what they are portraying.
“My girlfriend’s not super excited about the sex part,” Wall said. “But she couldn’t be more supportive and she’s done nudity before, so she understands.”
“With a play as rough as this,” Young said. “You need to go home to someone who cares about you.”
“Red Light Winter” opens Thursday, April 21 and runs through May 7 at the Studio Theatre in the Addison Theater Center.
SMU students receive a special $12 ticket price with id.
For more information, visit secondthoughttheatre.com.
