The Hive Theater Company Presents THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR Reading, 2/20

The Hive Theatre Company today announced the second installment of its ongoing Exposed Series; a series of staged readings of underexposed playwrights. The next play is The Couple Next Door, by Donna Hoke.

The staged reading will take place at CAP21 Studios (18 W 18th St., between 5th & 6th Ave) on Monday, February 20th at 7pm.

The cast is as follows:

Meghan Grace O' Leary - Janet Nelson
Alan Winner - Rich Nelson
Sarah Raimondi - Sadie Lewis
Glenn Quentin - Vance Lewis

This reading is being directed by Shaun Peknic.

The play centers around "Sadie and Vance, who are experiencing the all too familiar trials that arise when lovers become parents, job and home responsibilities become never-ending, and alone time becomes scarce. To Sadie’s further frustration, reticent Vance refuses to acknowledge - or discuss - any of them.

"Next door, demographic equals Janet and Rich have fared much better; their happy marriage is full of passion, love, empathy—and multiple sex partners. When the ever-ready Rich overhears Vance and “hot burrito” Sadie having wild sex, he’s intrigued, and determines to invite the couple over to test the waters. Janet is also curious, but hesitant: They live so close, what if it goes bad, and why is Rich so insistent? Through a comedic series of events, Sadie and Vance arrive at the Lewis house one Fun Friday, hoping that - as they’ve read on-line - a “just sex” evening of swinging will open up communication and elevate them to a new level of closeness.

"All appears to go well... Until the morning after. At the Nelson house, Janet senses the encounter with their new playmates was a little off, while Rich - dazedly fondling Sadie’s left-behind underwear - feels something is definitely on. At the Lewis’, the experiment has seemingly proved a bust: The couple is barely talking, and it’s clear that Sadie is more pissed at her husband than ever.

"In the ensuing days, Janet’s suspicions grow, and Rich visits Sadie to confess that she made him feel something he never has before. While Sadie insists it was “just sex,” Vance gets a cryptic visit from Janet that makes him realize his marriage is on the line. That night, Vance and Sadie bond after he digs deep to reveal his feelings about what happened last Friday, and the two take tentative steps toward reconciliation, which include a new start. Crushed, Rich nonetheless recognizes the need to recommit to his family, albeit with the unsettling knowledge that there might be more to love - and sex - than he’s ever known."