“Must Wash Hands,” a Brooklyn College student production, is set in Daisy’s, a restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts. The show includes four characters interacting in the single wood accented restaurant. Despite the simplicity of the set and the few props, there is an underlying metaphor and agenda behind the dialogue and plot.

The title is extremely deliberate and metaphorically fits in with the theme of the show nicely. Throughout the show, characters go to the single bathroom and wash their hands. They look at themselves in the mirror, and have a short check-in monologue about what they are thinking and feeling. This happens both in busy moments and during slower ones, and the contrast between feelings and actions plays an important role in the overall theme of consent, and the ability to tap into one’s own honest feelings.

The show confronts sexual consent, and the complexities of relationships and intimacy through the relationship of two women, Ruda and Lucy. At the restaurant, Ruda and Gabe work alongside each other and form an unbreakable and supportive bond. While working together they meet Lucy, a renounced feminist writer, at the Annual Gala for the Rape Crisis Center held by Daisy’s. This is the same night that Lucy ends her relationship with her boyfriend Steve, the fourth and final character in the show. At this “rape gala,” which ironically harbors the open bar that acts as a catalyst for Lucy and Ruda’s relationship, a connection sparks between the two. The rest of the show features pivotal moments in their relationship, including the closing scene—the fight that ends their relationship. Gabe is accused by his girlfriend, Misty, who the audience never meets, of having sexual intercourse with her, nonconsenting. This goes fundamentally against everything Lucy has ever spoken up against and she feels very unsafe around Gabe. Ruda, with deep emotional ties to Gabe, is willing to forgive him for his single mistake. Lucy is shocked by this moral difference between them and leaves Ruda.

The play, which was not chronologically organized, jumped back and forth between important scenes, releasing bits of information at a time. The main hint to the timeline of the scene was the clothing of the performers. This signaled the reappearance of a scene the audience already got a glimpse of, and gave context for a new scene. Personally, I didn’t understand that the scenes were not chronological for the first half of the show, and I think it was a bit unclear. The show, though making many important points about consent and the complexities of it, and how perceptions of people largely guide the aftermath of rape, seemed at times incohesive. Some points were left dangling, with no explanation or mention later on. For example, Ruda’s opening monologue about masturbating during work was not explained indirectly or referenced, only did it serve as a discussion starter for seemingly “taboo” topics when it comes to women.

Once I understood the message behind the show, it was very enjoyable. I am curious to see it again, and notice the references to consent throughout the beginning that I missed because I was focused on the confusing order of events. I found the show very funny in an honest way— during one scene Steve goes to the bathroom and has his introspective monologue, skipping back and forth between self confidence and self loathe, a very relatable instance when looking oneself in the mirror. The actors were skillful, accurately relaying an emotion or instance quite impressively, especially as students with limited experience. The simplicity of the set was deliberate and aesthetically pleasing. Each part of the stage was used well, and props were utilized as necessary, not in excess and not too scarcely. The lighting was used artfully to relay a certain time of day or setting outside the restaurant. On Ruda and Lucy’s camping trip, there was a warm yellow spotlight on them as they were evidently sitting in front of a campfire. The background music though subtle, contributed nicely to the mood of the scene it accompanied.

Overall, “Must Wash Hands” was an entertaining show that I would recommend going to, but with a summary beforehand for clarification. The writers conjured up an interesting way and medium to address consent, the powers of preconceptions, and the moral complexities that contribute to the ability to be in a relationship with another person. I thought the connection between checking in with oneself in the mirror and giving consent was a notable point. Giving the time to do so should always be an option. It was an absolute joy to be part of the lively, enthusiastic, and young audience. I would definitely see another Brooklyn College production, which is not elementary in the slightest sense.