‘Gruesome Playground Injuries’: Love hurts

‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’: Nicholas Braun & Kara Young. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES
By Rajiv Joseph
Directed by Neil Pepe
Through December 28, 2025
Lucille Lortel Theatre
121 Christopher St.
https://www.gruesomeplaygroundinjuries.com/

By Scott Harrah

Love literally hurts in this powerful revival of Rajiv Joseph’s one-act play Gruesome Playground Injuries at the Lucille Lortel.

Mr. Joseph’s two-character play was last produced in New York in 2011 at Second Stage Theatre, starring Pablo Schreiber and Jennifer Carpenter. Now, Tony-nominated director Neil Pepe has brought the show back to Off-Broadway with two acting powerhouses in the lead roles: two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young (Purpose and Purlie Victorious) and three-time Emmy Award nominee Nicholas Braun (“Succession”), playing Kayleen and Doug, respectively. Over a 30-year span, we see how the childhood friends’ lives intersect through a series of bizarre physical and emotional injuries.

Three decades of an unusual friendship

The story centers on three decades of a highly unconventional friendship. Its nonlinear structure shifts across different time periods, with both characters ranging in age from eight to 38. Nearly every scene depicts Doug and Kayleen discussing an accident, illness, or incident that has caused yet another wound. Supertitles projected onstage introduce each vignette with grisly labels such as “1. Eight: Face Split Open,” “2. Twenty-three: Eye Blown Out by Firework,” and “5. Eighteen: Pink Eye.”

Doug & Kayleen

Doug is a tall, socially awkward milquetoast who frequently gets into accidents and often harms himself, resulting in a parade of external injuries.

Kayleen, meanwhile, is a petite, nervous young woman who bottles up her emotions, and her anguish often overwhelms her physically. She suffers from assorted stomach and digestive ailments and cuts herself with razor blades to externalize the emotional turmoil she cannot express.

They first meet in an elementary school nurse’s office. Over the 90-minute one-act, their encounters take place everywhere from hospital rooms to a mental institution to a funeral home. Throughout the decades, Doug harbors a massive crush on Kayleen and is infatuated with her. Unfortunately, she insists she feels nothing for him. Despite her indifference, Doug remains unable to abandon his unrequited love, and the pair sustains a symbiotic, co-dependent friendship for years.

Dysfunctional bond

Gruesome Playground Injuries explores how some people use physical pain and self-harm to cope with trauma and psychological chaos. Through their many wounds and tragedies, Doug and Kayleen form a dysfunctional bond steeped in codependency and angst.

The tone is psychologically complex and disturbing, reminiscent of Tennessee Williams’s darker works such as Outcry, Something Cloudy, Something Clear, and Camino Real.

Sparse set, eerie lighting & clever makeup design

The sparse set by scenic designer Arnulfo Maldonado consists of a single, versatile room. Eerie lighting by Japhy Weideman, sound design by David Van Tieghem, and clever makeup work by Brian Strumwasser evoke a constant sense of desperation and vividly convey the characters’ many injuries.

Superlative performances

Veteran director Neil Pepe elicits outstanding performances from both Mr. Braun and Ms. Young. As these “scar-crossed” would-be lovers, they possess rare, magnetic chemistry.

Kara Young is consistently a high-strung spitfire and, despite her petite frame, commands the stage with imposing presence. She brings jittery allure and striking fragility to the role.

Nicholas Braun proved his range playing Greg on “Succession,” portraying a socially awkward outsider among ruthless billionaires. As Doug, Mr. Braun brings quiet humility, dignity, and nonstop tension to the character. Braun’s nuanced portrayal makes Doug deeply sympathetic, and we root for him to overcome life’s many obstacles.

Ambiguous ending

Gruesome Playground Injuries concludes with an ambiguous and somewhat unsatisfying ending, leaving us wondering what will become of these two lost souls. Given its serious themes, it is hardly light holiday fare. However, fans of Nicholas Braun or Kara Young will not be disappointed by the emotional fireworks these two extraordinary performers ignite onstage.

Published November 23, 2025
Reviewed at press preview on November 18, 2025

‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’: Nicholas Braun & Kara Young. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’: (left) Nicholas Braun & (right) Kara Young & Nicholas Braun. Photos: Emilio Madrid.

‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’: (top) Kara Young & (bottom) Nicholas Braun & Kara Young. Photos: Emilio Madrid.