When Ryan falls for a man he just met, he’s ready for the romance of his dreams. But as their connection grows, Ryan learns that new heights of joy can bring deep insecurities to the surface. Disarmingly vulnerable and playfully provocative, Hold Me in the Water is a funny and tender solo play about the passion and intimacy of first love.
Hold Me in the Water showcases Haddad’s talents in ways that show off his wit and personality. He’s a real catch, and I hope he finds his true love someday. It’s also a rather slight story about an all-too-brief romance. I also hope that in his future work he again finds ways to look beyond his heartbreak and even his own experience.
Ryan J. Haddad is completely vulnerable, funny, candid, vivid, sensitive, and graphic about his first sexual encounter in his one-man show “Hold Me In The Water,” playing at Playwrights Horizons in The Judy Theater on W 42nd Street. He will touch your heart and soul as he performs this piece that he has also written, where he bears his insecurities, his disability, his joys, and his disappointments.
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Playwrights Horizons Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Solo Performance | Ryan J. Haddad |
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE | Ryan J. Haddad |
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