Provocative New Play ‘Transgression’ Explores Art, Memories And Moral Boundaries

In “Transgression,” the newest play from veteran playwright Terry Curtis Fox, a widow sorting through her late husbands artistic legacy stumbles upon a portfolio of breathtaking photographs — images that may be his best work, but also depict a troubling truth. 

Directed by filmmaker Avra Fox-Lerner in her theatrical debut, “Transgression” is set to have its world premiere at HERE Arts Center in New York City as part of the venues Sublet Series. Previews begin July 10 on HEREs Mainstage Theater, with an official opening set for July 18. The limited run continues through August 2.

Set in motion by a discovery made in 2010, the play centers on a woman preparing her deceased husbands studio for a major museum retrospective. She uncovers a set of erotic photos from 1970 featuring a then-underage subject. When the woman in the photographs, now an adult, finds out, she demands they be destroyed. The widow is forced to weigh artistic merit against moral harm — challenging everything she thought she knew about her marriage, and confronting the broader question: what do we do with great art that is also a violation?

“This play poses a real (and deeply in the zeitgeist) dilemma for which there is no simple answer,” said Fox. “Its a play that makes couples argue. It does not let the audience off the hook or provide easy answers.”

Fox-Lerner, who is also Foxs daughter, said the experience of co-creating the play has been both personal and profound.

“It’s been a challenge and a joy to work with my father on this piece while coming home to my high school aged daughter in the evenings,” she said. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to anchor these two perspectives in this play.”

The cast features Susan Bennett as both Adult Robin and Robins mother, alongside Yuval Boim, Jane Ives, James Jelkin, and Ivy Rose. The production team includes scenic designer Kate Rance, costume designer Annie Simon, lighting designer Lauren Parrish, and sound designer Ander Agudo. Lisa M. Konoplisky co-produces.

“Transgression” will run Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 p.m. through Aug. 2. Tickets range from $10 to $100 and are available at here.org. Viewer discretion is advised, as the production contains themes of sexual exploitation, trauma, and ethical ambiguity in art.