Afterwards is a spiritual, theatrical novella, a sequel to Enz’s play City Girls and Desperados. Enz’s elliptical, transcendent storytelling revolves around a crew of hipster artists orbiting the steadying center of legend to legends; Sam Shaw – creator of the famous (Marilyn subway shot) and esteemed, Cassavetes producer, whose lawsuit of biblical proportions with his only son evolves into a blueprint for forgiveness that gives this piece its resonant heart. Sam’s son is shattered by his refusal to say “Yes, I do, I do love you.” after an argument with the love of his life French film Goddess Françoise Dorléac, just before she drives away to her fiery death. This tragedy ripples through decades across oceans snuffing out the possibility of love for generations. Characters ballet with younger versions of themselves as they unravel multiple dimensions of time, identity, death, reality, and truth through a maze-like world, desperately in need of empathy.
These collaborators reunite as a plea for a softer, kinder world through building a play that is likewise linguistically nimble and beautiful. Rocco and Enz meet at a truly fortuitous time to remind audiences of the power of language, the need for empathy, and that the purest, most effective route to empathy is live theater. A balm for all the tenderhearted people whose hearts are too big for this world; Afterwards offers the sanctifying power of mythic love.
