Following a sold-out three-performance run downtown in early July, a film capture of the premiere production of Frank Winters' The Great Filter will be available for on-demand streaming July 29–August 26. Watch the trailer for the new play above, starring Jason Ralph and Trevor Einhorn as two astronauts on their way home.
The project was co-conceived by Ralph and Einhorn, who met while filming the SyFy series The Magicians. The on-set working relationship became a friendship and now a partnership; the two founded the company Looks Like a Great Time, a creative outlet for their collaborations ranging from linen apparel to indie theatre.
The Great Filter is written and directed by Winters. Billed as an existential thriller, the story centers on two astronauts as they return to earth and prepare themselves to rejoin society. "Over the last year and half we’ve learned how quickly we can go into survival mode, and how being cut off from the people in our lives can begin to make us feel like we’re unraveling," said Ralph and Einhorn. "Part of what this play explores is the importance of reaching out and the power of a friendship to help get you through."
The two say that the play "puts them through the ringer," but has been a labor of love. "We’ve got our hands all over this thing—from the development process with Frank, to building and painting James Ortiz’s amazing set, dumpster diving for props, and teaming up with Luna Replicas on the costumes to ground these characters in reality."
Co-produced along with Scrap Paper Pictures’ Rachel Brosnahan (Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and NY Forever’s Maddy Moelis and Gaby Scelzo, the team was always intent on giving back to the indie theatre community. The Great Filter made its world premiere at The Wild Project July 1, making it one of the first new plays welcoming audiences back to live theatre. The upcoming virtual run will donate 100 percent of ticket sales to The Cultural Solidarity Fund, an organization that providing emergency relief grants to artists affected by the pandemic.
"The Cultural Solidarity Fund, an initiative of the Indie Theater Fund, has done incredible work to put emergency relief funds directly into the hands of NYC artists and cultural workers regaining their footing after a devastating 17 months. The cultural fabric of NYC is shaped by these individuals, who keep the city at the cutting edge of storytelling through their dedication, resourcefulness, and grit," said Scrap Paper Pictures in a statement.
"The play is wild, fun, and maybe a little bit of a panic attack. It’s got us all over it and we couldn’t be more proud," said Ralph and Einhorn.
For tickets and more information on the virtual run, click here.
