The Bad and the Better marks an uptown move for the acclaimed downtown theatre company that has presented Hotel/Motel, The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side, Happy in the Poorhouse, Amerissiah, Ghosts in the Cottonwoods and Chasing the Fantastic in recent seasons.
Daniel Aukin (4000 Miles) directs the six-week engagement that will run through July 21. Ahonen is the Amoralists' resident playwright.
The cast includes Byron Anthony, William Apps, Selene Beretta, James Kautz, Nick Lawson, Sarah Lemp, Sarah Roy, Anna Stromberg, Jordan Tisdale, Vanessa Vache, Clyde Baldo, Reuben Barsky, Penny Bittone, Regina Blandon, Ugo Chukwu, Wade Dunham, Edgar Eguia, Chris Lanceley, David Lanson, Judy Merrick, David Nash, Cassandra Paras, James Rees, Dan Stern, Kelley Swindall and Chris Wharton.
The Bad and the Better design team includes Alfred Schatz (set design), Natalie Robin (lighting design), Philip Carluzzo (sound design) and Moria Clinton (costume design).
The premiere is characterized as "a riveting detective noir centered around the Lang brothers. One with everything to lose. One with everything to prove. Both in too deep. Set in the basements, balconies and bars where secrets are whispered and revealed, join a group of local anarchists, law enforcement officials and political power players. All are waging war: against injustice, corruption and, ultimately, the people they love the most. A cautionary tale about the hypocrisy of extreme principles, The Bad and the Better explores the dangers of maintaining loyalty and protecting your family, whoever they are, at any cost. When it comes to the bad and the better, what’s the difference?" The Amoralists is a theatre company that produces work of no moral judgment. Dedicated to an honest expression of the American condition, the actor-driven ensemble explores complex characters of moral ambiguity.
Tickets are $49.95 and are available at TicketCentral.com or by calling (212) 279-4200. The Peter Jay Sharp Theater is located at 416 West 42nd Street.