New Jersey Stage 2016: Issue 2 | Page 29

peared into a void upon taking their vows, forbidden from leaving the house, joining in social engagements only when accompanied by an event like the baptism of a child or, heaven forbid, somebody else’s bloody wedding. And who in their right mind would want to spend eternity with one person? Yes, the single and the married enjoy outwardly cordial relations, but we secretly hold each other in contempt. NewJerseyStage.com Greek oddball auteur Yorgos Lanthimos examines this cold war through the lens of dystopian sci-fi in his black as coal comedy The Lobster, set in a near future where being single is outlawed. In this world, those who find themselves alone are shipped off to a remote hotel and given 45 days to find a mate among their fellow ‘criminals’. Failure to do so results in them being turned into an animal of their choice. 2016 - ISSUE 2 Table of Contents 29