HARDLOVE Will Open At Soho Playhouse

Rue De Pera Films and Sonder Project have announced the upcoming production of "HardLove," a raw and unflinching new dark comedy play adapted by Esin İleri and Miray Beşli from the original Turkish play by Anıl Can Beydilli, translated by Esin İleri. Directed by Jee Duman and starring Miray Beşli and Chandler Stephenson, this gripping two-character play plunges audiences into a volatile late-night encounter where magnetic attraction forces two strangers to confront their fears, desires, and the fragile lines between connection and destruction. "HardLove" begins performances on May 23, 2025, at the Huron Club at Soho Playhouse. These New York performances will be followed by the play's world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2025.

HardLove introduces audiences to ChiChi (Miray Beşli), a raw, free spirit with a wild, fierce heart  and Theodore (Chandler Stephenson), the epitome of a well-mannered, intellectual gentleman who values order and structure. After stumbling into Teddy's apartment blackout drunk, their initial fumbling attempts at a hookup quickly dissolve, exposing vastly different expectations of intimacy and connection.

What follows is a raw and revealing exploration of vulnerability, power dynamics, and personal boundaries. As the night unfolds, ChiChi's chaotic energy challenges Teddy's carefully constructed world, while Teddy's underlying desire for something more pushes back against ChiChi's fierce defenses. They spar, confess, provoke, and test each other, delving into fantasies and fears that blur the line between passion and destruction. Can two people navigating such different wavelengths find common ground, or will their clash only lead to emotional wreckage?

Directed by Jee Duman, this adaptation brings the play's universal themes of connection, loneliness, and consent to the American audience. The production utilizes elegant, stylized choreography rather than explicit staging for moments of intimacy, creating a visually poetic atmosphere that focuses on emotional truth.

"HardLove is not afraid to explore the messy aspects of human connection," says director Jee Duman. "It asks what happens when two vastly different souls collide and are forced to confront the parts of themselves they usually keep hidden.”