Significant Other at Lyric Arts is Raw and Real
Pictured: Noah Hynick, Photo by: Molly Weibel
Lyric Arts’ production of Significant Other follows Jordan Berman (Noah Hynick) on a quest to find meaning, love, and happiness as the people closest to him move on with their lives. Over the course of the play, Jordan watches his three best friends get married and slowly drift away, leaving him to grapple with crushes, depression, and the terrifying uncertainty of growing older alone.
This play, written by Joshua Harmon, beautifully captures the complexities of modern relationships, romantic, platonic, and everything in between. It explores topics ranging from the digital age of dating to suicidal ideation to the raw, sometimes painful power that love holds over us. I was very shocked to find out it was written 8 years ago, so props to director Max Wojtanowicz for making it feel just as relevant in 2025.
Director Max Wojtanowicz, a beloved member of the Twin Cities theatre community, directs this production with clear care and understanding for the script’s emotional weight. Balancing sharp humor with gutting monologues is no easy task, but Wojtanowicz keeps the pacing crisp and the tone honest. The result is a show that feels both entertaining and emotional in equal measure.
By the second act, my friend and I were absolute wrecks, what began as a few sniffles turned into ongoing tears, and we weren’t alone in that.
A Lyric Arts regular, Noah Hynick delivers what might be his best performance to date. His portrayal of Jordan is hilarious, awkward, infuriating, and achingly real. He leans fully into the character’s physical comedy, awkwardness, nervous gestures, exaggerated meltdowns, and even in the quieter moments Hynick shines. Noah mentions this in an interview, saying “there's something to be said about all the time we see Jordan onstage alone,” Noah speaks volumes in his silent moments. His heartbreak feels deeply personal, and his desperate longing for connection makes it impossible not to root for him, even when he makes selfish or frustrating choices.
This is one of the most honest and modern portrayals of relationships I’ve seen onstage in a while. It lays bare the loneliness, depression, and existential ache so many people quietly carry in an era obsessed with curated perfection.
As Laura, Jordan’s closest friend, Eva Gemlo delivers a layered, deeply empathetic performance. Laura’s gradual absence from Jordan’s life is one of the play’s sharpest stings, and the pivotal scene where they finally confront their fractured friendship was, for me, the most gut-wrenching of the entire production.
What I appreciated most was how balanced the confrontation felt. Both characters voiced fair, valid accusations and heartbreaks. I expected to side with Jordan, the story is told through his eyes, and it paints many of the other characters as materialistic or dismissive. But through Gemlo’s grounded, vulnerable performance, we’re reminded that Laura is carrying her own unspoken griefs and complexities. It’s a credit to both actors that their fight felt so human, messy, and unresolved in the way real relationships often are.
The creative team paid much attention to little details or easter eggs within the set or props, from small props strung along cable lines subtly reference memories to pictures on Jordans laptop. Michaela Lochen’s beautiful set paired with Lucas Granholm’s lighting design, the environment shifts seamlessly between apartments, offices, parties, and inner monologues without ever pulling focus from the characters.
Lighting plays a crucial role in this production, often guiding us in and out of characters’ heads or jumping through time, a storytelling device I’ve noticed growing in popularity in plays (used similarly in Sanctuary City at the TRP). These transitions were executed flawlessly, with lighting, sound, and physical movement all perfectly timed. Credit is also due to stage manager Emerson Stenbeck, whose precision kept these rapid shifts feeling clean and emotionally resonant.
As Jordan’s grandmother Helene, Miriam Monasch delivers a heartbreaking performance. Her character arc, as she quietly battles memory loss and suicidal thoughts, follows a progression heartbreakingly familiar to anyone who’s witnessed the toll of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Monasch brings warmth, humor, and gentle wisdom to Helene’s scenes.
Her conversations with Jordan were some of my favorite moments in the show, simple, bittersweet, and a reminder that our time on earth and with our loved ones is both precious and limited.
Significant Other isn’t a fairytale. It’s a love letter to growing up, and a reflection on the loneliness that holds. It made me laugh out loud, cry, and provoked good conversation for my friend and I on the way back home.
Rush Tickets: (subject to availability) tickets are $20 and available 30 minutes before the performance
Don’t miss Lyric Arts upcoming shows or season: read all about it here.
https://www.lyricarts.org/season25-26
Catch Significant Other at Lyric Arts in Anoka through this Sunday.
