‘Afterglow’ Explores Honesty & Opening Up Your Relationship (And Heart)

Writer and director S. Asher Gelman says that the truest messages of his play Afterglow is to reflect on love, honesty, and how deeply important communication is in modern relationships. 

Afterglow, which will hold its Australian premiere during Midsumma Festival in 2026, was first shown Off Broadway in NYC in 2017. 

Gelman says that Afterglow still resonates nearly 10 years on because its themes are genuinely universal.

“Afterglow really speaks to our deepest desires which are directly connected to our deepest fears,” Gelman explains. “Our deepest desire is to always feel connected, to feel heard, to feel understood, to feel loved and desired. That, of course, is connected to our deepest fears, which is abandonment and betrayal.”

The play centres around a married couple, Josh and Alex, who are in an open relationship. They invite a third, Darius, into their bed one night – new connections begin to form, and drama ensues.

Gelman, who is in a polyamorous relationship with his husband and partner, adds that the play is shaped by his personal experiences with love, open relationships, and polyamory, and learning the ultimate value of honesty.  The play is based on an extramarital relationship he had in 2014, and the impact it had on his marriage.

“I was convinced that the thing that I’d done wrong was I’d allowed myself to fall in love with someone else. I realised that wasn’t the cardinal sin; it was that I had not been completely honest with my husband about it.”

Gelman emphasises that the audience’s biggest takeaway shouldn’t just be the exploration of open relationships, or the drama they can sometimes create. He says it’s more about the play challenging conventional thinking about how “real” relationships should function, and communication in modern relationships.

“Ultimately, it is about honesty,” explains Asher. “But, what happens to our relationships when our lines of communication break down?” 

Gelman explains Afterglow isn’t meant to be a “classic” gay story; his goal was to tell a universal love story between humans, and for it to function as a catalyst for difficult conversations. 

“The experience of Afterglow only begins with the play itself… The lights go on, the lights go off, the audience leaves. But that’s only part one of the experience. Part two is sitting down with the person you came to the show with and having a difficult conversation.”

Afterglow will premiere at Chapel off Chapel in Melbourne on 30 January 2026, and will open at Eternity Playhouse in Sydney on 26 February.