Review: THE HOUSE THAT SEX BUILT at Teatro Audaz

Teatro Audaz lived up to its name  last weekend in its production of The House That Sex Built by Rita Anderson. Only a bold, audacious group like Teatro could take on a script like this that gave the audience a hard look at the reality of sexual addiction. Such an important topic.  This play allowed us to see the problem through the lense of the addict and his partner.  I think many people probably fit into this category, but few would admit it. So much shame is involved. This important script displayed the damage this addiction can have, and Teatro Audaz did what they do best, jumped in fearlessly with both feet ready to tell this difficult story with courage and truth.

This was my first time at The Little Carver Theatre, and I really appreciated the intimate space. It had a warmth that really drew us in. Larry Martinez, Jr designed a metaphorically beautiful set for the space, that along with a powerfully effective sound design by Mason Anthony Ortiz, truly put us in the mindset of what we were about to witness. And it was rough. It was wildly uncomfortable, and it was meant to be. The topic is uncomfortable and tends to want to live in the shadows, pretending it’s not really there. So, when a play like this shined a light on all of it, we squirmed a little bit.

The four actors in the show fully commited to playing out the truth of this tough topic. Georgie Lee, as Partner, had some authentic moments that spanned all of the emotions that would go along with being married to a sex addict. He addressed the audience with some true authenticity and honesty in many moments, as he relayed to us all of the struggles he had with his addict partner, played by Jai A. Gonzalez Quintero. They took us on a terrifying journey through the world of Playboy magazines and the explosion of internet porn and how all of it can destroy a relationship. How love can be buried by the darkness of it all. Micah Wolfe and Sam Black played several different characters throughout the play, adding some wonderful lightness and finesse to a rather dark story. They had meaningful moments as well and delivered believable performances in each character they played. 

Hats off to director Celeste Lozano and this brave theatre company for taking on a play of this nature. People need to be talking about sexual addiction. Shedding light instead of shame so that freedom can be found. Hope. That is what this play offered. Honesty and hope for a dark and prolific struggle. 

 

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