January 6, 2017 – January 15, 2017 in Bowne’s Lab Theatre

(Previews on January 4 & 5, 2017)

The Story:

David Holthouse is a renowned gonzo journalist. He has lived with gangs, drug lords, bikers, and people who have taken themselves off of the grid. He told some of the darkest stories from some of the darkest places to the world through his writing. But until 2004, he had never told his own. Stalking the Bogeyman is David Holthouse’s story of his childhood rape, his work towards healing, and the plan he made to kill his rapist. David never went through with that plan, but the choice he made to tell the story and come out of the shadows became its own form of absolution. The story was first published in the alternative newspaper Westword. In 2010, he read his article on NPR’s This American Life and that telling of the story was subsequently turned into a play with NewYorkRep. FST has taken the opportunity to present this play first in our Stage III series this season. David Holthouse has taken control of the monster that haunted his childhood to create awareness, and present both the narrative and himself, as a means to tell a now-grown survivor’s side of the story.

 

What the Press is saying about Stalking the Bogeyman:  

“Riveting” – New York Times

“Breathtaking” – New York Times

“Gripping and harrowing drama” – London Theatre

“Remarkable story” – London Theatre

“Highly powerful message” – London Theatre

“Skillfully woven together” – What’s on Stage.com

“Impressive” – What’s on Stage.com

 

January 27, 2017 – March 26, 2017 in the Gompertz Theatre

(Previews on January 25 & 26, 2017)

 

The Story:

In this poignant drama about family, loss, grief, and hope, Kimber Lee introduces us to Tray Thompson, an eighteen-year-old young black man doing everything right in the violent neighborhood of Brownsville in Brooklyn. Tray is shot and killed after being in the wrong place at the wrong time during a gang dispute. His grandmother Lena, his sister Devine, and his stepmother Merrell must come to terms with his loss, while dwelling on the life he left behind, and discover how they must live together in the space he left behind. This play presents just one example of how the cycle of poverty and violence are killing our black men and boys, through the lens of one young black man. He is not just a statistic, not just a one-day local headline; he is a person with triumphs and losses, strengths and flaws. He was a human being, a brother, a son, a grandson, a scholar, and a boxer, and his name was Tramaine Berry Thompson.

 

What the Press is saying about brownsville song (b-side for tray):

“Moving” – The New York Times

“Vivid and rhythmic” – The New York Times

“Strong and unusually physical performances” – The New York Times

“Fierce” – The Seattle Times

“Starkly poetic” – The Seattle Times

“Visually strong stage language” – Variety

“Plenty of soul” – Variety

“A story of resilience, reconciliation and reunion against all odds” – New York Daily News

“Compelling” – Talkin Broadway

“Vivid and genuine dialogue” – Talkin Broadway

 

February 10, 2017 – June 11, 2017 in the John C. Court Cabaret

(Previews on February 8 & 9, 2017)

 

The Story:

Getting older isn’t for sissies but it sure is good for a laugh. Older than Dirt is the third installment in FST’s For the Ages project, our documentary theatre series focuses on aging and end of life issues. Old Enough to Know Better focused on aging generally, both the fun discoveries and the trying challenges. Last Rights examined end of life issues, and the decisions we have to make as we approach death in old age. In Older than Dirt we attempt to use laughter as our best medicine. So many people have written songs about aging, and FST has turned those songs into a cabaret to give us all the chance to laugh at ourselves for a while.

“The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.”

– Lucille Ball

 

February 17, 2017 – February 26, 2017 in Bowne’s Lab Theatre

(Previews on February 15 & 16, 2017)

 The Story:

Through the lens of a parent/teacher conference, Johnna Adams’ Gidion’s Knot presents to her audience equally puzzling dilemmas in the reality of education and the development of children. The death of Corryn’s son, Gidion, has affected more people than just his mother and his teacher Heather. This drama questions how bullying, expression, and identity are intense struggles for everyone, especially the developing, delicate minds of children. Gidion is just one example of every human that battles the world into which they were born. Paralleling the complexity of the Gordian Knot, Gidion’s Knot poses to its audience questions about suicide, the ethics of teaching, responsibility, accountability, and acceptable boundaries of expression.

 

What the Press is saying about Gidion’s Knot:

“Emotionally wrenching” – Hollywood Reporter

“Gripping” – San Francisco Gate

“Edgily funny” – San Francisco Gate

“Fraught with hot-button issues” – San Francisco Gate

“A riveting, explosive drama” – Chicago Critic

“Exquisitely written” – Chicago Critic

“Powerful drama” – Chicago Critic

“Explosive” – Chicago Critic

“Taut” – Talkin Broadway

“Brilliant” – Talkin Broadway

 

March 24, 2017 – April 2, 2017 in Bowne’s Lab Theatre

(Previews on March 22 & 23, 2017)

The Story:

The pilot in this story controls a U.S. Military class Reaper Drone from behind a desk with views of blue and grey screens, a joystick, and a button to fire. George Brant’s one-woman show takes us through the mindset of a pilot who works for the military by day and comes home to her husband and daughter by night, like any normal mother. She served several tours in Iraq, but was relocated back to the states because of her pregnancy. Her ties to the battlefield in Iraq and mounting pressure of her job results in the blue skies she is used to turning into grey “blips” on a screen. Grounded presents our audience with a look at one soldier’s mental health after years of serving in the military. She balances her job’s incredible responsibility while separating two lives, two very different realities, through the lens of the virtual landscape.

 

What the Press is saying about Grounded:

“Gripping” – New York Times

“Intriguing” – New York Times

“A taut piece of storytelling” – Wall Street Journal

“A searing piece of writing” – The Guardian

“Crisp, smart script” – New York Daily News

“Engaging” – Theater Mania

“Strong and compelling writing” – Theater Mania

 

April 19, 2017 – April 29, 2017 in the Keating Theatre

The Story: 

Imagine spending days, weeks or months in a space that is cold and unfamiliar, with concrete walls and floors, and bars that keep you from going where you want.  Jails are not welcoming, nor are they meant to be. Imagine spending years in one, especially if you are not guilty of the crime for which you’ve been convicted. The Exonerated reveals true stories of exonerated prisoners from interviews and court transcripts, some of whom spent as many as twenty two years behind bars.

 

What the Press is saying about The Exonerated:

“Intense” – The New York Times

“Deeply affecting” – The New York Times