THE LAND OF CHEESECAKE AND ICE-CREAM Tackles War on Terror at Theatre Row

'Whistleblower' presents THE LAND OF CHEESECAKE AND ICE-CREAM, a chilling testament to the War on Terror by Jack Gilliat, at Theatre Row on 42nd Street from tonight, February 9th, through February 12th 2017.

"Hunter 11", a 7-ton ammunition supply truck is on a 1,000-mile journey, through the most hostile desert terrain. The beleaguered, haunted, Marines of "Hunter 11" come under constant attack, as they wrestle with the legitimacy of their mission, and the war in general.

THE LAND OF CHEESECAKE AND ICECREAM explores the impact of endless conflict, and an endless battle for survival, on a generation.

The play is written, directed and produced by Jack Gilliat, the founder of the New York-based Whistleblower theatre company. Gilliat is intent on conveying a very specific message with this play - that is recognition and reverence for the fallen and the forgotten of the so-called 'War on Terror'.

"This play really is a voice for the men and women beneath the uniforms. Soldiers are not weapons. This play is about their human complexities, not the orders they carry out," says Gilliat, a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. This is his second off-Broadway production in seven months, since leaving the Academy Company in February 2016. His former AADA company colleagues also star.

Gilliat has set his sights on a very specific message of recognition and reverence for the fallen and the forgotten of the 'War on Terror'. "I think, over the past 20 years or so, the world has been dragged deeper and deeper into warfare, particularly in the middle-east," he says. "This play really isn't about beating our audience over the head with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (to name a couple) but rather to be a voice for the men and women beneath the uniform. As we at home grapple with the truths of the 'War on Terror', we must also remember that soldiers are not weapons. They are not simply another part of the machine. They are our sons and daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers. This play is about their complexities, not the orders they carry-out."

"In this play we encounter very real people, people some of us may know, and we have the duty to strip away everything that encumbers us, to expose their truth and confront their humanity," says lead Jeffrey Marc Alkins.

Alexander Hodge says: "[All the characters] offer differing attitudes and sentiments on their mission. I don't know who is right, but I think that is the reason for this play. It's not an answer or solution so much as it is a dare; to challenge your conceptions."

Whistleblower's last main-stage production was 'Echoes of Ebola' at Playwrights Horizons next door. After delving deep into the murky world of the pharmaceutical industry, veteran broadcast journalist Sarah Yuen and Whistleblower founder/director Jack Gilliat are humbled to turn their attention back to a region of the world that has made up an immediate part of their lives for many years now.

CAST: Alexander Hodge - Yaw Asante - Jeffrey Marc Alkins - Angelo Leal - Isaac Anthony Andrew - Constance Wookey - Jack Gilliat.

'The Land of Cheesecake and Ice-Cream' runs at Theatre Row, 410 W 42nd Street, New York, NY; February 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th. For tickets call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.telecharge.com.

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