PRIMA FACIE Stars Tony Winner Jody Comer as a Magistrate Who Charges Date with Rape

I was fortunate to see Jody Comer's powerhouse performance in this one woman, one act play that sheds light on the complex shades of doubt called into question with rape allegations.  The week before I was in the audience, I was in NYC when the smoke from the apocalyptic fires in Canada enveloped the city.  All outdoor activities for public schools were cancelled, public beaches were closed and the Yankees postponed their game because of the toxicity in the atmosphere.  Masks were being handed out for free. Most people were using masks or clothing to cover their noses and mouths.  People were warned to avoid being outside and remain indoors as much as possible.  I felt my eyes and throat burn within moments being outside.  The discomfort lingered long after going inside.  Also this on day, Jody Comer while on stage in her matinee performance required help getting off stage due to difficulty breathing.  "I can't breathe in this air," she stated after stopping shortly into her performance.  The understudy went on with the show although both "Hamilton and "Camelot" cancelled their performances hours before curtain call for the evening shows.  The air quality has since improved and Jody Comer came back into her Tony winning role of Tessa, a feisty barrister whose fearless in the courtroom the following day.  The play is written by Susie Miller (b. Australia).  Miller received her law degree from the Univ. of New S. Wales while also studying drama at the Nat'l Institute.  The play's heroine Tessa, is a young woman from the lower strata of England's snobbish social hierarchy.  Tessa worked her way up from her working class origins in a household that didn't hold her back or help but has since come to depend on her earnings.  A brilliant student who doesn't intimidate easily freely although she's forever aware of the disparity between herself and that of her elite classmates.  Winning drives Tessa in life and in the courts.  When her handsome, aristocratic former classmate and formidable barrister shows an interest in her, Tessa is excited to engage in a relationship.  However, Tessa must draw on all her inner strength when the relationship takes a sexually abusive turn.  Her testimony and the burden of proof take an emotional toll.  Comers tour-de-force performance is a master class in acting as she fills the stage with characters and a panoply of emotions.  Comer (b. UK 1993) gained popularity for her starring role as the sexy, sociopathic assassin in "Killing Eve".  She's garnered two BARTA TV Awards, a Primetime Emmy, Laurence Olivier, Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.  Don't miss one of our most versatile actresses in this intense and thought provoking play.  PRIMA FACIE is a primal experience that resonates with prescient social issues.  The play is primary dramatic theater at its best.