New Farce THE STRATEGIST Plays The Brick, Now thru 11/23

Gemini CollisionWorks and The Brick Theater, Inc. present The Strategist, or: The Woman of Some Virtue, or: Before You Ever Heard of It, running tonight, November 8 - 23, 2013. Written and designed by Ian W. Hill & Berit Johnson, the production is directed by Mr. Hill.

Performed by Cody Boccia, George Bronos, Angelina Cavallini, Ivanna Cullinan*, Melissa DeLancey, Linus Gelber, Ryan F. Johnson, Bob Laine, Amanda LaPergola, Dolores McDougal*, Michael McKim*, Matthew Napoli*, Leila Okafor, Timothy Roselle*, Rokia L. Shearin, Paolo Solis, Bill Weeden*, and Stephanie Willing. *Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

A modern Comedy of Manners, in the style of The Man of Mode or The Country Wife, only set in today's Brooklyn, with a cast of characters concerned with fashion, food, publicity, social media, social events, and, maybe, sex. The more things change...

In Williamsburg, the current beating heart of Brooklyn, and thus, the Heart of the World, with all eyes turned upon it, lives a Strategist, a young man like so many others in Williamsburg-cute, smart, charming, unemployed, living mostly on family money-but this one can make things happen: events, friendships, businesses, connections; he brings people financial and personal success, but none of it stays with him.

Now, Maxwell Kraft is at a crossroads. Unless he proves to his family that he is willing to at least show some "real" entrepreneurial spirit, the money tap will be turned off. At the same time, he has fallen for high-minded vegan activist Leaf Greenwife, and, as a known hustler and fabulist, he is having a hard time convincing her of his sincerity.

Over the course of one weekend, Kraft, his friends and wingmen, and assorted hangers-on and Brooklyn types - baristas, landlords, a dominatrix and her client, an Eastern-European plumber, and the Wilde-like celebrity tweeter Onan Fapwank, who speaks in 140-character epigrams - move from coffee shop to loft to artisanal beer garden as the strategies multiply, the relationships fragment and realign, a rich family shows up expecting a meat dinner as the vegan is wooed, expensive shoes are coveted and stolen, Ecuadorian Sloth Spit Coffee is served, and the streets outside are filled with hipsters on a zombie walk battling with a rival group of Revolutionary War reenactors. As will happen. It's Brooklyn.

The Strategist takes the old form of the Restoration Comedy and sets it among today's monied gadabouts and social aspirants, perhaps being better called a "Restoration Hardware" comedy.

In three acts with two intermissions. Approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes.

DATES:

Friday, November 8 at 7.30 pm
Saturday, November 9 at 7.30 pm
Sunday, November 10 at 7.30 pm
Friday, November 15 at 7.30 pm
Sunday, November 17 at 3.00 pm
Monday, November 18 at 7.30 pm
Friday, November 22 at 7.30 pm
Saturday, November 23 at 3.00 pm

TICKETS: $18.00 at the door or at www.bricktheater.com or through TheaterMania.com (212.352.3101) at THE BRICK -- 579 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Lorimer stop on the L train / Metropolitan-Grand stop on the G train.

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