In the tradition of Mike Daisey and Nilaja Sun, acclaimed monologist Barry Levey returns with his latest show, this time exploring contemporary Jewish identity with some of the most celebrated Holocaust Revisionists in the field today. No lover of Truth will want to miss his startling discoveries!
Hoaxocaust! traces Barry’s attempt to challenge the sense of victimhood that he feels has been instilled into Jewish-American culture. His research took him to hell and back (literally), with stops in Chicago, London, Paris and finally Tehran to find out: is there a contemporary Jewish identity independent of “The Holocaust?” Should there be? What if the Holocaust never happened?
Hoaxocaust! is a controversial take on revisionist history from the creators of Nein, Eleven! and Faux-Bama: Where’s the Birth Certificate? Barry’s show gives voice to Holocaust deniers from around the world, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. You’ll learn that Schindler’s List was based on a novel, Hitler’s speeches were just badly translated (he didn’t say “exterminated,” he said “exiled”), and most of the people that supposedly died in gas chambers are alive and well in Brooklyn.
Hoaxocaust! is a sometimes shocking, mostly hilarious show that is certain to generate conversation. And that is its intent. With anti-Semitism on the rise, continued debate over Gaza, and Madoff’s mug above the fold, it is time for New Yorkers to begin a difficult conversation about our inherited and chosen identities and what happens when politics are personal. This ripped-from-the-headlines monologue is both a parody of current one-man shows and an inventive way to tackle anti-Semitism. It is better to learn the “truths” Barry unearthed on his journey than ignore them at our peril.
Hoaxocaust! Written and Performed by Barry Levey with the generous assistance of the Institute for Political and International Studies, Theran is being presented by Prospect Theater Company’s 2008-2009 Dark Nights Series on Saturday, April 18 at 3:15 p.m. and Sunday, April 19 at 7:15 p.m. at 59E59 Theaters (59 E. 59th Street), New York, NY. Directed by Jeremy Gold Kronenberg and featuring special guest, Mark Emerson.
Dates & Times: Saturday, April 18 at 3:15 p.m. and Sunday, April 19 at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets: All seats $15, $10 for 59E59 members. Buy tickets at 59E59 Theaters box office, 59 East 59th Street (Park/Madison), by phone 212-279-4200, or online www.ticketcentral.com or www.59e59.org.
Barry Levey’s play Critical Darling was produced by The New Group in 2005, following development by Williamstown Theatre Festival, Arena Stage, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and the Baldwin New Play Festival at the University of California, San Diego, where Barry received his MFA. Other plays include All the Way From China (readings: Ars Nova, The New Group; production: Fourth Wall, Cleveland) and Citizens of Rome (finalist: 2006 O'Neill Playwrights Conference). He is a recent graduate of the Ars Nova writer’s group, where his produced plays include Downeaster Alexa (2009) and Yale Law School (2007).
Jeremy Gold Kronenberg (Director) holds an MFA in Directing (Musical Theatre Focus) from The University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. At CCM, his production of Side Show was nominated for a Cincinnati Entertainment Award as Outstanding Musical of the 2004-2005 season. New York directing credits include My Life As A Bald Soprano, My Salvation Has A First Name; A Wienermobile Journey, and Disappeared, which was part of Prospect Theater Company's Dark Nights Series. He holds a BFA in Acting from The Ohio University School of Theatre and did post-graduate work at Sarah Lawrence College. Jeremy has served as an assistant director at Prospect Theater Company, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, The MUNY, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He worked at the Bridewell Theatre in London as an assistant stage manager and conducted youth theater seminars. Jeremy spent three years as the associate director for Stagecrafters Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, where he taught and directed students in second grade through college.
Mark Emerson* (Special Guest) is a recent graduate of the M.F.A. Acting program at UCSD, where he performed in The Wiz and Zhivago at La Jolla Playhouse (both directed by Des McAnuff). He was last seen as Prior in Angels in America at the Lyric Hammersmith in London and as Tim Allgood in Noises Off at the Pioneer Theatre in Salt Lake City. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and an artistic associate of About Face Theatre as well as a company member of Maieutic Theatre Works.
*appearing courtesty of Actors’ Equity Association. Hoaxocaust! is an Equity Approved Showcase.
