The Flea's 2015 Fall Season to Feature Bradshaw, Schumacher & More

Niegel Smith, the new Artistic Director and Carol Ostrow, Producing Director of The Flea Theater announced today the slate for the fall season, which will include three World Premieres and one New York premiere.

Says Smith, "I am delighted to be starting my time here with a season that boldly explores the American experience from so many different points of view. From comic to dramatic, reflective to participatory, our audiences will get the full range of theatrical experiences. I am proud to be continuing our commitment to producing new work, with both veteran Flea artists, and writers making their Flea debut."

September 11 - October 19
FULFILLMENT by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Ethan McSweeny

Michael has a new girlfriend and has just bought the apartment of his dreams. It seems that his life should be perfect. Little does he know that his hell is just beginning. In FULFILLMENT Bradshaw tackles the question: what makes us happy?

"Bradshaw has proved in play after play that he has a confident vision of the theater that is his own. The politically incorrect plots jump merrily from one outrage to another, never pausing to explain motivation or linger on subtext... No playwright applies as ruthlessly Hitchcock's definition of drama as 'life with the boring parts taken out.'" - The New York Times

The World Premiere of FULFILLMENT will be directed by Ethan McSweeny and features Otoja Abit, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Jeff Biehl, Christian Conn, Denny Dillon, and Susannah Flood.

Performances are Wednesday-Monday at 7PM and Sunday at 3PM. Tickets are $15 - $105 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. The production includes violence, nudity and sexual situations. Tickets on sale to Flea Members on July 23 and to the General Public August 6. Opening night is September 21.

October 1 - November 8
STUDENT BODY by Frank Winters, directed by Michelle Tattenbaum

Ten students meet as a winter storm approaches. One of them knows what happened, and no one's leaving until they all figure out what to do about it. By the end of the night, friendships are tested, allegiances change, and choices are made. The right thing to do is hard to figure out.

STUDENT BODY was originally commissioned, developed and performed at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City as part of the Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission in December 2014 under the title THE SCHOOL PLAY.

This world premiere production will be directed by Michelle Tattenbaum and will feature The Bats, the resident acting company at The Flea.

Performances are Thursday-Sunday at 9PM. Tickets are $15 - $35 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. The production includes graphic discussion of sexual violence. Tickets on sale to Flea Members on July 23 and to the General Public August 6. Opening night is October 11.

November 9 - December 21
NEIGHBORHOOD 3: REQUISITION OF DOOM by Jennifer Haley, directed by Joel Schumacher

In a quiet cul-de-sac where the Neighborhood Association regulates everything from lawn height to garden gnomes, no one can control the growing addiction to a new online game. Using a GPS map, the game allows teenagers to battle zombies in their own neighborhood. But as the line between the game and reality blurs, everyone must ask themselves: which team are you on?

NEIGHBORHOOD 3: REQUISITION OF DOOM premiered at the Humana Festival in Louisville. "Bottom line: The most absurd play of the fest also rings the most true - by far. Anyone who's watched a parent try to coax a teen from the computer to the dinner table will be locking all the tools in the shed after seeing this bloody one." - Denver Post.

This New York premiere will be directed by noted film director, screenwriter and producer, Joel Schumacher and will feature The Bats, the resident acting company at The Flea. The Flea is thrilled to be partnering with State of Play, a company that uses play to build community, as they present Humans vs. Zombies: Neighborhood 3 Edition. This live action game will be played around TriBeCa and around the city in conjunction with the run as a part of The Flea's continued effort to promote new types of engagement with their audience and community.

Performances are Wednesday-Monday at 7PM and Saturday-Sunday at 3PM during previews. Tickets are $15 - $105 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. The production includes violent situations. Tickets on sale to Flea Members on July 23 and to the General Public August 6. Opening night is November 16.

December 1 - January 25
TAKE CARE written by Todd Shalom & Niegel Smith, directed by artistic director Niegel Smith

TAKE CARE is a participatory performance that investigates the ways we respond to present and imminent danger. This evening-length performance gathers and re-configures our personal language around emergency preparedness, abandonment, and consolation.

Niegel Smith and long-time collaborator Todd Shalom (Elastic City) create a performance that explores The Bats' most urgent personal and global concerns, finding a provocative intersection between our nation's inadequate response to the systemic racism that devalues brown bodies and the ongoing climate change crisis. TAKE CARE includes individualized prompts for audience participation alongside scripted moments for The Bats. Audiences will have the opportunity to choose their desired level of participation--they can be on stage or around it.

This world premiere performance is directed by the Flea's own Niegel Smith and features The Bats, the resident acting company at the Flea.

Performances are Thursday-Sunday at 9PM. Tickets are $15 - $35 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets on sale to Flea Members on July 23 and to the General Public August 6. Opening night is December 6.

July 9 - December 19
#SERIALS@TheFlea produced by Cleo Gray and Crystal Arnette

And of course, late night at The Flea continues with #serials@theflea. Monthly cycles kicked off for the summer on July 9. Now counting 29 sold-out cycles, this raucous late night play competition featuring The Bats, the resident acting company at The Flea, and some of NYC's hottest young playwrights runs through December 19. #serials@theflea plays 11PM Thursday-Saturday with the exception of Cycle 30, which runs July 9-18 and plays Thursday and Friday at 11PM and Saturday at 10PM and midnight. Cycle 31 plays August 13-29, Cycle 32 plays October 15-31, and Cycle 33 plays December 3-19. Tickets are $12 and include a free beer. Tickets on sale now for Cycle 31.

Low Priced Tickets for Every Production at The Flea

The Flea Theater continues its commitment to creating theater that is accessible to all. Every production at The Flea will have a limited number of $15 tickets available on a first-come-first-served basis. And in our Upstairs Theater, we also will be continuing with our Pay What You Can performances on Monday nights Upstairs at The Flea. Pay What You Can tickets are available one hour prior to performance.

The Flea Theater is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal, close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines. Purchase tickets by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.

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