This weekend, Fordham Experimental Theater put on “Dani and Bea,” written and directed by Tori Fisher, FCRH ’25, an adaptation of “When Harry Met Sally.” The play, with a 90-minute run time, follows two women who travel together from Chicago to New York post-graduation and spend the next 10 years meeting and remeeting one another.
Dani, portrayed by Julia Bavaro, FCRH ’24, is an aspiring journalist in a heterosexual relationship with a sure sense of self, or at least that’s what the audience is meant to believe. Bea, portrayed by Kelsey O’Keefe, FCRH ’24 is a proud lesbian with dreams of being a photographer. Despite their differences, the audience sees their chemistry build and set up for the scenes to follow.
Their journey begins during their cross-country trip and the pair playfully debate whether it’s possible for anyone to be completely straight. Dani argues that sexuality is a spectrum and no one can say for certain they are entirely straight, while Bea seems set in her ways. Their back and forth is a gentle nod to “When Harry Met Sally,” and their conversation of whether men and women can really just be friends. Years pass with the two running into each other now and then, but it’s not until 10 years later that they finally become friends. Along with the help of their two best friends, Martin and Carrie, who became a couple themselves, the two are able to see what’s been in front of them the whole time.
The overwhelming feeling left from the play is the honesty and authenticity of this story. Love stories are not as cut and dry as they may seem in the movies. Feelings take time to develop, and, in a lot of cases, it can take a long time for people to come to terms with their sexuality. This play allows the audience to go on that real journey with the characters. O’Keefe does a great job of portraying a woman struggling with her sexuality, knowing that she’s not allowing herself to be fully authentic, but also being not quite ready to admit that to herself.
Despite being an adaptation, “Dani and Bea” has its own unique charm, with storylines and characteristics that are wholly their own. The distinction is most obviously that “Dani and Bea” follows a queer relationship. “It follows the beat of the original but in a reimagined way,” said Fisher. “I wanted to reimagine it in a way that’s a bit more relatable so I decided to make it a queer adaptation to reflect myself and people around me. I can’t think of another play that’s been put on at Fordham that has shown queer relationships so it’s important that we see that. It’s a step in the right direction.”
A final highlight of the show is the couples’ stories that take place in between scenes. The audience sees five couples tell the story of how they met, four of which are in queer relationships. The weight these short scenes carry is the heart of the show and a reminder to those who may need it that queer love stories are important and deserve to be told.
