NEW YORK CITY: The Flea Theater has announced its fall 2015 season, the first under the artistic direction of Niegel Smith. The season will contain world premieres from Thomas Bradshaw and Frank Winters, and an interactive piece from Smith and Todd Shalom.
“I am delighted to be starting my time here with a season that boldly explores the American experience from so many different points of view,” said Smith in a statement. “From comic to dramatic, reflective to participatory, our audiences will get the full range of theatrical experiences. I am proud to be continuing our commitment to producing new work, with both veteran Flea artists and writers making their Flea debut.”
The season will begin with the world premiere of Bradshaw’s Fulfillment (Sept. 11—Oct. 19), about a man still searching for happiness even after he gets a new girlfriend and a dream apartment. Ethan McSweeny will direct.
Next will be the world premiere of Winters’s Student Body (Oct. 1—Nov. 8), about a group of students who gather for one night during a winter storm in which friendships are tested. Michelle Tattenbaum will direct.
Following will be Jennifer Haley’s Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom (Nov. 9—Dec. 21), about a group of teenagers addicted to a video game about zombies, and the ensuing blurring of the real world and the virtual world. Screenwriter/producer Joel Schumacher (Flatliners, The Lost Boys) will direct. In addition to the production, the Flea will also present a live-action game of their own for audiences, “Humans vs. Zombies: Neighborhood 3 Edition,” to take place in New York’s TriBeCa neighborhood, in partnership with State of Play.
Next will be the world premiere of Shalom and Smith’s Take Care (Dec. 1—Jan. 25, 2016), a participatory performance that investigates the ways we respond to present and imminent danger. Smith will also direct.
In addition, the season will feature the Bats, the Flea’s resident ensemble of actors, who will perform in Take Care, Neighborhood 3, and Student Body. Also part of the season will be #serials@theflea (currently running through Dec. 19), a late-night play competition featuring the Bats and new playwrights.