Meet Me In Five: A Razor-Sharp, Deliciously Wicked Celebration and Autopsy of Girlhood
Imagery by Adam Dowling, written by Alice Ivey
Cherubs Production’s Meet Me In Five, by playwright Becca Carter Freeman, is an unmissable display of female friendship and all of its glory, strife, and occasional dance parties. From artists like Britney Spears and Chappell Roan on the speakers, to the flowers bordering the doorways, the venue welcomes you home.
Emma Garner’s invested direction of the production is clear. As you witness the five tight-knit college roommates fall in and out of love with their sisterhood, the audience grows invested in their fate as their bond doesn’t prove to be as strong as they once thought. The girls explore themes like sexual identity, consent, and chosen family, causing audiences to laugh and cry in the same moment, relating to the character’s vulnerability and humor.
Actresses Shahadi Wright Joseph, Kaci Walfall, Lilia Buckingham, Isa Barrett, and Maddie Schumacher invite you to their slumber party through their electric chemistry with one another. Before the show even begins, you understand their dynamic. The set features each of the roommate’s doors, uniquely decorated to reflect their personality.
Set within a cramped walk-up off Boston University's campus, the apartment itself becomes an active character, a pressure cooker where the chaotic magic of early adulthood slowly gives way to psychological tension. As messy dishes, strange hums in the walls, and unresolved resentments pile up alongside their late-night confessions and tarot readings, the play moves from wildly funny Gen-Z banter into a surreal, ritualistic confrontation that exposes the fragile rot beneath their intimacy. It serves as a hauntingly honest autopsy of how young women grow up, drift apart, and navigate the painful realization that the space meant to protect them can no longer hold them.
Maddie Schumacher’s witty comedic timing has audiences roaring with laughter, but the complexity to her character, Sascha, tugs at your heart strings. Schumacher has you wishing you could storm through the fourth wall and give her a giant hug. Such layers displayed in only a 90 minute play is not only entertaining to watch, but also incredibly impressive.
If you’ve ever attended a sleepover accompanied by a ouija board, this play is for you. Grab a drink at the bar beforehand and enjoy the seating as you await the opening of the house.
You have from September 17-19 to join the party. First-come, first-served rush tickets are available at the box office at ARTXNYC 30 minutes before showtime. Bring your ruffles, polka dots, and ballet-flats to join the celebration and reflection of what it means to be a woman.
