History of POTUS in 88 minutes

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Recession, war, restrictive immigration laws: Students of history know we've been here before. Different leaders, same old issues, say the Neo-Futurists, the innovative theater collective behind the fast-paced “44 Plays for 44 Presidents,” an anthology of two-minute shorts that contain the history of POTUS in one brisk 88-minute production playing across the United States this fall.

The Neo-Futurists (creators of the acclaimed, long-running show “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind”) create theater under the principles of brevity, honesty and speed. Would that our political process would take the same approach.

Written by Andy Bayiates, Sean Benjamin, Gevenvra Gallo Bayiates, Chloe Johnson and Karen Weinberg, “44 Plays” encourages us to take the long view this election year. The project has grown into a nationwide election season festival, with 45 productions in progress across the country, from New York to Little Rock Central High School, where President Eisenhower dispatched the National Guard in 1957 to escort the Little Rock Nine to class. (Find a production here.)

Salon.com > Neo-Futurists

History of POTUS in 88 minutes