In the first season under the new artistic director Niegel Smith, the Flea is offering new works by in-your-face playwright Thomas Bradshaw (whose previous play include the sex-explicit Intimacy, and the bloody Job); the first major playwright of the digital age Jennifer Haley (who made a splash in the Spring with The Nether), and a work involving audience participation co-authored by Smith himself and his long-time collaborator Todd Shalom . There will also be big-time Hollywood director Joel Schumacher, as well as some zombies.
September 11 – October 19
FULFILLMENT by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Ethan McSweeny
Michael has a new girlfriend and has just bought the apartment of his dreams. It seems that his life should be perfect. Little does he know that his hell is just beginning. What makes us happy?
Cast: Otoja Abit, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Jeff Biehl, Christian Conn, Denny Dillon, and Susannah Flood.
Tickets are $15 – $105 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. T”he production includes violence, nudity and sexual situations.”
October 1 – November 8
STUDENT BODY by Frank Winters, directed by Michelle Tattenbaum
Ten students meet as a winter storm approaches. One of them knows what happened, and no one’s leaving until they all figure out what to do about it. By the end of the night, friendships are tested, allegiances change, and choices are made. The right thing to do is hard to figure out.
The cast will be made up of The Bats, the resident acting company at The Flea.
Tickets are $15 – $35 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. “The production includes graphic discussion of sexual violence.” T
November 9 – December 21
NEIGHBORHOOD 3: REQUISITION OF DOOM by Jennifer Haley, directed by Joel Schumacher (Flatliners, The Lost Boys)
In a quiet cul-de-sac where the Neighborhood Association regulates everything from lawn height to garden gnomes, no one can control the growing addiction to a new online game. Using a GPS map, the game allows teenagers to battle zombies in their own neighborhood. But as the line between the game and reality blurs, everyone must ask themselves: which team are you on?
In conjunction with the play, The Flea will partner with State of Play to present a live action game around the city, entitled Humans vs. Zombies: Neighborhood 3 Edition.
Tickets are $15 – $105 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. “The production includes violent situations”.
December 1 – January 25
TAKE CARE written by Todd Shalom & Niegel Smith, directed by artistic director Niegel Smith
TAKE CARE is a participatory performance that investigates the ways we respond to present and imminent danger. This evening-length performance gathers and re-configures our personal language around emergency preparedness, abandonment, and consolation.
Niegel Smith and long-time collaborator Todd Shalom (Elastic City) create a performance that explores The Bats’ most urgent personal and global concerns, finding a provocative intersection between our nation’s inadequate response to the systemic racism that devalues brown bodies and the ongoing climate change crisis.
The cast will feature the Bats — and the audience, although individual audience members can determine their level of participation.
July 9 – December 19
#SERIALS@TheFlea produced by Cleo Gray and Crystal Arnette
This is the long-running late night play competition featuring new plays, with tickets costing $12 — and that includes a free beer.