Ryan J. Haddad Brings Gay Intimacy and Disability to the Stage
Presenting Ryan J. Haddad’s celebrated solo hit show “Hi, Are You Single?” available for digital streaming from 9 p.m. PST on Jan. 24 through 9 p.m. PST on Feb. 21.
The show is directed by Laura Savia and Jess McLeod and was recorded with a limited live audience. Virtual tickets are $20 and can be reserved online beginning Jan. 7, 2021 at woollymammoth.net. The show features playwright and actor Ryan J. Haddad , an actor, playwright, and autobiographical performer based in New York. Other New York credits include “My Straighties” (Ars Nova/ANT Fest), “Noor and Hadi Go to Hogwarts” (Theater Breaking Through Barriers), and the cabaret “Falling for Make Believe” (Joe’s Pub).
Regional credits include “The Maids,” and “Lucy Thurber’s Orpheus in the Berkshires” (Williamstown Theatre Festival). He has a recurring role on the Ryan Murphy Netflix series “The Politician.”
Additional television credits include “Bull,” “Madam Secretary,” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Haddad has performed original work at La MaMa E.T.C., the New Museum, and The LGBT Center of New York City. His plays in development include “Good Time Charlie and Dark Disabled Stories.
“Hi, Are You Single?” asks us to examine sexuality through the lens of a queer man with a disability who is struggling to make meaning out of intimate interactions. That in itself is a radical shift in perspective. Ryan has a higher sex drive than most everyone. He also has cerebral palsy. You can often find him on Grindr or at your local inaccessible gay bar. From encounters with drag queens to platonic lap dances, Ryan will guide you through the gay dating scene with his own uniquely provocative take on intimacy, rejection, and judgment. His one man show has had a meteoric rise and rapidly becoming a cult favorite in LGBT circles.
The subjects are weighty, but Ryan Haddad never dips into heavy-handedness or preachy lectures. Instead, the autobiographical solo show proceeds with a light touch. It is Haddad’s style, wit, and immense vulnerability that elevates "Hi, Are You Single?" into a hugely moving and entertaining performance.
When he first started going out to gay clubs in his early 20s, Haddad had some rather awkward run-ins with other guys. Often they would look at him with sadness or pity. It took him several years to realize that those were their issues and that it had nothing to do with him.
“I realize, now, that I am good enough,” Haddad says. “Men just don’t have the knowledge or the understanding required to approach someone with a walker… I’m sexy enough. I just need someone who is emotionally and mentally sexy enough to see that in me.”
Design work is by Lawrence E. Moten III (Scenic and Costume Designer), Colin K. Bills (Lighting Designer), Tosin Olufolabi (Sound Designer), John Keith Hall (Stage Manager) and Andrew Cutler (Assistant Stage Manager).
“Hi, Are You Single?” was developed by Dixon Place, Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Public Theater/Under the Radar, and originally developed by Laura Savia. Learn more at www.ryanjhaddad.com and follow Ryan on social at @ryanjhaddad.
Chris Daniels
Arts & Entertainment Reviewer
The Show Report