Flea Artistic Director Jim Simpson directs the limited engagement of the work written especially for downtown troupe which opens June 4 and runs through June 25. Screen Play sets its story "just before the election of 2015" in an America "ruled by a conservative religious majority. The economy is sagging, wars are raging and culture is in decay. Many Americans have begun to flee to Canada and Mexico as the government struggles to stop pandemic reverse immigration," according to a show description. The work liberally based on a classic 1942 film "is a tale of politics, history, the city of Buffalo, and a love ruined by the Bush-Gore election of 2000."
The cast of Screen Play features Derrick Edwards, John Fico, Meredith Holzman, Drew Hildebrand, Kevin T. Moore, Brian Morvant and Raushanah Simmons. The design team includes Melissa Schlactmeyer (costumes), Joe Novak (lighting) and Greg Duffin (sound). Musical direction is by Kris Kukul.
In addition to his Flea offerings O Jerusalem and Mrs. Farnsworth, Gurney has penned the plays Scenes from American Life, Children, The Dining Room, The Middle Ages, Sweet Sue, The Perfect Party, Another Antigone, The Cocktail Hour, Love Letters, The Old Boy, The Fourth Wall, Later Life, A Cheever Evening, Sylvia, Overtime, Let's Do It (a Cole Porter musical), Labor Day, Far East, Ancestral Voices and Buffalo Gal.
Director Simpson has staged productions of Anne Nelson's The Guys, Gurney's O Jerusalem and Mrs. Farnsworth at his homestage as well as Off-Broadway's Intrigue with Faye, Psych, Demonology and Nixon's Nixon.
Tickets to Screen Play at The Flea, 41 White Street (between Broadway and Church Street) are available by calling (212) 352-3101 or visit www.theflea.org.