Photo by Bjorn Bolinder
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
"He stood me up."
John Peña Griswold and Maile Binion star in MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Jean has met the man of her dreams… if she could just find him. And confirm that he’s a him. And figure out what his name really is?
MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor rolls joyously along in Jean’s passionate (if sometimes wavering) belief in “the One.” When their first meeting — following a clandestine online relationship — doesn’t go as planned, she’s ready to cast her ideals aside and give up on the concept of soulmates. But fate (and possibly one foreign government) have other plans.
I had the pleasure of directing the premiere in the 2022 Heartbroke Festival presented by the New Ambassadors Theatre Company and starred Maile Binion, John Peña Griswold and Matthew Menendez.
Photo by David Adam Gill
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
“One more minute. Okay. Okay. This is your Day, Jean. This. Is. Your. Day.”
Maile Binion in MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by David Adam Gill
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
“It’s just a weird thing to say, ‘I knew I’d find you here. I knew I’d find you here on this random park bench?’ Like, am I not allowed to be spontaneous and unpredictable?”
John Peña Griswold and Maile Binion rehearse MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by David Adam Gill
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
“Yeah, maybe. But you know how quickly these things turn bad. Might get shot! Don’t wait up!”
Maile Binion in MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by Bjorn Bolinder
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
"It's so funny, because, like, you've seen my picture, but I've never seen your picture, so all I've been able to do is imagine what you look like. And, like, the possibility did exist that you could be a woman..."
Matthew Menendez and Maile Binion star in MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by David Adam Gill
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
“And now I google homemade bombs all the time! All the time! Because it brings me closer to you! It brings me closer to Karl!”
“… huh?”
Matthew Menendez and Maile Binion rehearse MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by Sydney Burtner
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
“You’re not here to meet me?”
“I was running.”
“To meet me, though?”
“For fitness, mostly.”
Matthew Menendez and Maile Binion rehearse MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by Sydney Burtner
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
“Latte for your thoughts? No?”
John Peña Griswold and Maile Binion rehearse MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by Sydney Burtner
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
“Officer Kevin Milquetoast. FBI.”
John Peña Griswold and Maile Binion rehearse MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by Sydney Burtner
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
Karl heckles Jean believing this day will end in her arrest.
John Peña Griswold, Maile Binion and Matthew Menendez rehearse MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
Photo by Bjorn Bolinder
Courtesy of New Ambassadors Theatre
"You're my FBI agent?"
"Listen, when I was first assigned to your case, you were very low priority. There was no way they'd have me looking into a Molotov cocktail for more than an afternoon. But when I saw your selfies, that smile -- I fabricated other searches."
John Peña Griswold and Maile Binion star in MY BELOVED, MY AXIOM by Aly Kantor.
