The Trial of an American President, a new play by Dick Tarlow with Bill Smith, will play Off-Broadway’s Lion Theatre this fall. Each night, an actor playing former President George W. Bush will be put on trial during the show for the destabilization of the Middle East, and eight audience members will be chosen as the jury.
With the verdict changing nightly, the ending of the show changes as well. Directed by Stephen Eich, The Trial of an American President will begin performances September 17 and officially open September 29.
Tony Carlin (Sylvia, Fish In The Dark) will play Bush; he will be joined by Mahira Kakkar (Clive ) as narrator and Michael Rogers (Joe Turner Has Come and Gone) as prosecutor.
“With the continuing rise of ISIS and ongoing worldwide terrorism, world leaders demanded answers about who was responsible for the destabilization of the Middle East,” production notes state. “The International Criminal Court at The Hague reached out to President George W. Bush to be accountable for his actions. Against the wishes of his family and advisors, Bush remarkably has agreed to stand trail.”
“I feel strongly that it is time for President George W. Bush's actions to be properly examined,” added Tarlow in a press statement. “I was inspired to write this play out of concern for my children and grandchildren in the current world sociopolitical climate which I feel can be linked to the actions of the Bush presidency.”
The Trial of an American President has scenic design by Ann Beyersdorfer (50 Shades! The Musical Parody national tour), sound design by Alex Dietz-Kest (The Diary of Ann Frank), lighting design by Ben Green (All Shook Up), video design by Phil Coccioletti at Sugarcamp Productions and projection design by Kevan Loney (Icon).
The show is produced by Shelter Entertainment LLC and Hello Larry Ltd and will play a limited engagement through October 15.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting Telecharge.com or calling (212) 239-6200. For more information, please visit: BushOnTrialPlay.com.
