Directed by RJ Tolan*
Featuring Dylan Dawson & Darcy Fowler
2 actors,
5 stories,
1 sexy night.
New York Magazine
Critics' Pick
FIVE TIMES IN ONE NIGHT listed on NY Mag’s Top To Do list of Twenty-five things to see, hear, watch, and read.
“Sex takes the spotlight in a racy production about two people on one hilarious, sultry night.”
“A clever (and extremely funny) play about sex, told in five bite-size parts.”
Alexis Soloski
New York Times
"Dylan Dawson and Darcy Fowler are virtuosos of comic timing— they know how to make a line sing, zing or sting."
"Chiara Atik's writing feels specific and universal, mirthful and agonizing."
"Wails and whimpers of pained recognition rang out. I saw women watching with hands over their mouths and one man who appeared to have shut his eyes entirely."
"R. J. Tolan’s direction is clean and nimble."
Christopher Kompanek
Time Out New York
Critics' Pick, Four Stars!
“Chiara Atik’s aptly titled new work deftly explores the moments leading up to or following a roll in the hay for five very different couples across many centuries.”
“R.J. Tolan’s nuanced directorial touch fuses tension with vulnerability.”
“The disparate times and locales, brought to life by Jason Simms’s versatile set pieces, highlight the enduring power of this primal act.”
“Darcy Fowler and Dylan Dawson play five couples, and they’re both excellent, exhibiting a winning range of comic and dramatic styles.”
“The actors achieve lovely rhythms that vary smartly with the tone and character of each scene.”
“Funny and revealing."
Sonia Roberts
Theater Pizzazz
“Earnest and playful.”
“Atik doesn’t shy away from the awkward and uncomfortable.”
“Tolan’s staging thoughtfully allows Atik’s stories to shine through honest, energetic, and deliciously funny performances.”
Suzanna Bowling
Times Square Chronicles
“Dawson has chemistry and a charm that makes us follow his journey.”
“R.J. Tolan’s direction kept the piece running smoothly.”
“Jason Simms’s versatile set used the space to it’s fullest.”
Daniel J. Lee
Theater Scene
“Delightful night of one-acts.”
“Atik’s five self-contained shorts add up to a heartfelt, whimsical look at the reasons we pursue sex and the means we employ in order to have it.
“Engaging, well plotted, and incisively funny.”
“[Tolan] keeps his audience comfortable and engaged.”
“Dan Spitaliere’s appropriately quirky playlist set the mood just right.”
“[Dawson and Fowler] are both skilled actors.”
“Together, [Dawson and Fowler] share a delightful chemistry that transcends millennia and genres.”
“Take a date, take a friend, or take yourself to this fun show before it closes.”
“Takes audiences on a sensational romantic journey.”
“One of the most thoroughly entertaining, original, and enjoyable shows I’ve seen.”
“Everything about the production is just right.”
“Raises intriguing questions with intelligence and plenty of humor.”
“Fowler can be seen practically bouncing with delight between scenes, her energy and charm spreading cheer and goodwill throughout the theater, while Dawson is clearly having a ball as well.”
“The staging and acting are exceptional, but what makes Five Times in One Night really special is Atik’s perceptive, insightful dialogue.”
“It all comes together seamlessly in an unforgettable, wholly genuine evening of absorbing theater.”
“A sharp, witty meditation on relationships through time.”
“A sharp and seamless production delivered by director RJ Tolan.”
“Goofy, funny, touching, sweet, this piece has a tremendous sense of fun, and keeps the jokes crackling at a high pace.”
“The heart of the play rests on the fallibility of human interactions, and that heartbreaking truth is wonderfully coupled with Atik’s vibrant sense of humor.”
“A sweet, sexy show, it’s one you’ll be glad you saw.”
“Darcy Fowler and Dylan Dawson are both scene-stealingly good.”
Natalie Sacks
Charged.Fm
“Five Times in One Night”: The Ultimate Modern Romance
“A hilarious two-person series of short plays about sex and talking about sex.”
“Extremely contemporary, in theme and in language.”
“These actors will still keep you laughing nonstop.”
“Dylan Dawson and Darcy Fowler transform themselves completely into each character, from biblical scholar to juice cleanse yuppie, with expert skill.”
“A hilarious, witty, profound script with delicacy and fun.”
“For anyone who is even slightly interested in sex and talking about it, this is a play you need to see.”
“Chiara Captures The Comedy And The Heartbreak… So Perfectly.”
“[Atik] confronts modern problems of the heart in a fresh, funny, unconventional way. Five Times is the best use of those skills we’ve seen yet.”
“It’s exactly the right group for this play’s sideways, irreverent brand of intimacy.”
Diep Tran
TDF Stages
“It’s an exploration of sex and intimacy… [and] of how sex has changed, or not changed, throughout human history.”
“Chiara’s writing is so appealing and pliable. It felt effortless.”
“Atik’s show joins a legacy that includes Year of the Rooster by Olivia Dufault and Hand to God by Robert Askins (which begins Broadway performances March 14).”
“Atik says… ‘I find myself wanting to write better and cooler and push the envelope more and do different things, because the people I was with were better and cooler and doing different things.’”
Olivia Jane Smith
New York Theatre Review
“[Dawson and Fowler] manage the neat trick of differentiating their respective characters without overdoing it, and serve as a relatable everyman and -woman without being bland.”
“The dialogue bubbles along and the tone of the evening is decidedly light.”
“For anyone in the market for a little romantic comedy to warm up the late winter months, something casual or just for fun, Five Times in One Night may be just what you wanted.”
Jacob Horn
Curtain Up
“It's smartly and tightly written ("as smart as it is sexy" feels clichéd but apt).”
“Performers Dylan Dawson and Darcy Fowler make an endlessly appealing duo, and RJ Tolan's direction is precise and well-tuned.”
“The latest in a line of strongly compelling works to come out of the Ensemble Studio Theatre's Youngblood program.”
“The sense of magnetism between [Dawson and Fowler] is palpable.”
“While Five Times in One Night covers a broad swath of history, it's a strikingly contemporary play.”
“Atik's writing also uses contemporary speech patterns throughout…. Dawson and Fowler, in turn, do full justice to her writing on stage, proving themselves agile performers in the process.”
“Five Times in One Night is a charming success and it's easy to imagine that this trio of Youngbloods is just getting started.”
David Spencer
Aisle Say
“Atik manages a nice balance between sketch comedy and human comedy.”
“Dawson and Fowler are pitch-perfect light comedy players, both in a very big way ready for prime time.”
“Full marks to director RJ Tolan for maintaining a tonal balance that is just right.”
“It's a top notch sex-and-romance two-hander.”
David Barbour
Lights and Sound America
“This brief collection of five comic sketches is a fine calling card for a writer to watch; it also showcases the considerable skills of its two-person cast, Dylan Dawson and Darcy Fowler.”
“Throughout, Dawson and Fowler change personas as deftly as they switch costumes.”
“The director, R. J. Tolan, deftly recalibrates the tone of each sketch as needed.”
“Audrey Nauman's costumes are remarkably detailed for each sketch.”
“As the name suggests, Youngblood is the arm of EST dedicated to early-career writers, and there is no question that Atik is a find.”
