By Alex Drinnen If all consequences were stripped away, would any behavior still be considered ‘immoral’? This year’s Stage III lineup features three plays that all—in some way—take on this challenging and complex question. From the ethics of technology to the ethics of the courtroom to the ethics of personal responsibility in relationships, this year’s lineup certainly packs a moral punch. “The plays all challenge … Continue reading Morality Under a Microscope
Think the concept of “The Nether” sounds creepy? Well, it’s not all science fiction. In fact, The Nether was written by someone who knows first-hand how all-too-real the concepts and technology presented in this play can be. Before writing The Nether, playwright Jennifer Haley spent over a decade working as a web designer. An avid gamer herself, Haley describes her ideal vacation as one involving … Continue reading Who Could Have Possibly Dreamed This Twisted Stuff Up?
By Alex Drinnen Amazon’s Alexa knows your online history. Siri knows your schedule. Facebook knows your friends and family. Google knows your location. Your phone knows your fingerprint. In a world run by tech, it can be hard to stay human. But what if there was a digital world you could escape to where you could be truly free? A place where you can be … Continue reading Online, Off the Grid
WORLD PREMIERE. Leigh and Lee are two strangers who have little in common besides their names—she is a Type A statistician and he is an aggressive former athlete. But the discovery of a mysterious suicide note in a hotel bathroom sets their lives on unexpected paths that go anywhere but according to plan. Paralyzed tells a striking story of guilt, personal responsibility, and the power of forgiveness. Continue reading Paralyzed
The Nether is a virtual wonderland providing total sensory immersion. Just log in, choose an identity, and indulge your every desire. When a young detective uncovers a disturbing brand of entertainment in The Nether, she launches an investigation into the darkest corners of the imagination. Winner of the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, The Nether is both a serpentine crime drama and haunting sci-fi thriller that explores the … Continue reading The Nether
In David Gow’s Cherry Docs, Mike, a neo-Nazi skinhead, is charged with a racially motivated murder and Legal Aid assigns him a Jewish lawyer, Danny. Over the course of developing a defense for Mike, Danny is forced to examine the limits of his own liberalism and its underlying demons. This drama is an unblinking exploration of the roots of hatred, and how its growth can be stopped. … Continue reading Breaking Down Hatred
In 2017, the FBI reported a 17% increase in all hate crimes, totaling over 7,100 instances and continuing a disturbing three-year rise in hate crime statistics. These attacks are varied and their victims often painfully unheard. Here is a very brief synopsis of recent hate crime statistics and high profile cases in the United States: • Hate crimes against Jews in America rose by more … Continue reading America’s Pain: Coming to Terms with Hatred
Hate is eternal. No one knows that better than Cherry Docs playwright David Gow. In an interview with Topanga Messenger, Gow shared that he was compelled to write this gripping play after one of his own friends was assaulted outside of a Toronto bar. At the time, the city was home to sizeable gangs of skinheads. Though written over twenty years ago and set in … Continue reading Hate and Healing
By Michael Nichols and Becca Jennings Mike is a neo-Nazi skinhead. He stands accused of brutally kicking a man to death with steel toed, cherry colored boots. Danny is liberal, middle-aged, and a devout Jew. He is also Mike’s appointed legal aide. Cherry Docs by David Gow is a tight-fisted study of hate and healing as these two men pit their beliefs against one another … Continue reading A Mile in Blood-Spattered Boots
By Meg Gilbert and Michael Nichols FST’s challenging Stage III series returns with a sizzling season of edgy new plays that push the boundaries of theatrical content and form. This year’s lineup tackles the pressing, timely issues of morality, hate, and celebrity, and oddly enough both begins and ends in the setting of a basement. Buckle your seatbelts as we venture into a seemingly innocent … Continue reading Screaming Secrets: Stage III Returns
