Ashley Griffin’s THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE to Make West Coast Premiere at Hudson Backstage Theatre

Neil Gooding Productions has announced the West Coast premiere of the acclaimed Off-Broadway play The Opposite of Love, opening July 25 at Hudson Backstage Theatre, with a preview on July 24.

Directed by Melora Marshall, the production stars Ashley Griffin—the show’s playwright and original Off-Broadway lead—in her long-awaited return to the Los Angeles stage, alongside actor Evan Strand.

The Opposite of Love is an intimate and emotionally raw two-hander that tells the story of Eloise, a trust fund baby, and Will, a hustler trying to survive. When Eloise hires Will to help her work through her sexual trauma, their fragile and unlikely connection must weather the darkest recesses of human vulnerability. Set in a world where love has become a commodity, the play explores the line between desire and destruction, intimacy and performance.

Griffin, a Los Angeles native and NYU Tisch graduate, began her acting career in L.A. before moving to New York to launch a successful career in theater, film, and television. She made her Shakespeare debut at age eight and had her first play produced in L.A. at just seventeen. The Opposite of Love marks her first staged work in Los Angeles since that early chapter. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 2024 at The Royal Family Theater following development at A.R.T. and Theatre Row, and was produced by NewYorkRep under Founding Executive Director Gayle Waxenberg.

The production is helmed by Melora Marshall, a celebrated performer and director known for her genre-defying work with the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Her recent staging of Tartuffe: Born Again, a satirical reimagining of Molière’s classic set in 1980s Louisiana, earned her the 2024 Welles Award for Best Director of a Progressive Play.

Ashley Griffin has been praised as “a bold and brave playwright” (Times Square Chronicles) and “a master of modern American drama” (OnStage). Her previous work includes Trial (directed by Lori Petty), currently in talks for a Broadway transfer, and she is also the author of the bestselling novels Blank Paige and The Spindle. Griffin has appeared at The Gershwin Theater, Lincoln Center, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater, and on screen in The Greatest Showman and Homeland.

Evan Strand brings physical and emotional depth to the role of Will. Known for his standout performance as Sven in the national tour of Frozen, he has also appeared in General Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy, and Zoot Suit at the Mark Taper Forum. A classically trained ballet dancer with extensive skills ranging from stage combat to archery, Strand is known for his powerful presence and wide-ranging versatility.

Performances of The Opposite of Love will run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 4:00 p.m., from July 24 through August 31. Tickets range from $29 to $45.

Los Angeles Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Hollywood Bowl)

9.1% of votes

2. HEATHERS (Backyard Playhouse: Treetop Production)

5.3% of votes

3. HAIR (Conundrum Theatre)

5.3% of votes

Vote Now!