2 Samuel II

Synopsis

A dimly lit desk in New York City morphs into the sun-baked rooftops of ancient Jerusalem, blurring millennia in a heartbeat

David, a young gay playwright, grapples with his keyboard and conscience as the biblical tale of King David and Bathsheba bleeds into his modern world. A woman in silk becomes Bathsheba reborn, her monologue a searing indictment of power and patriarchy that echoes through time. As David’s own desires erupt in vivid fantasy, the play peels back layers of sexuality, artistic creation, and the timeless struggle against exploitation.

Greenspan’s 2 Samuel 11 shatters theatrical conventions, weaving biblical verse with raw, contemporary dialogue. The second act explodes into a kaleidoscope of New York lives, each character a fractured mirror of their ancient counterparts. Through this daring structure, the play probes the very nature of storytelling, asking how we shape narrative – and how it shapes us. Sacred and profane collide in a work that demands its audience grapple with power, identity, and the often-blurry line between inspiration and obsession.