World Premiere Of THE CANCELLATION OF LAUREN FEIN By Christopher Demos-Brown Opens February 2

We've all read the stories in recent years: a celebrity or professor or politician is called out and brought down for words or deeds considered offensive. Cancel culture. Some view it as a method of holding people to account, of righting a wrong. Others believe it's suppression of free speech, a public shaming.   

Sometimes it's both. And sometimes – perhaps, often – a seemingly minor stumble can lead to a fall from grace when an accusation takes on a convoluted life of its own.

 

It is that murky, how-did-we-get-here allegation of wrongdoing that playwright Christopher Demos-Brown explores in The Cancellation of Lauren Fein, his world premiere play for Palm Beach Dramaworks. Demos-Brown is not just an acclaimed playwright, but a prominent civil trial attorney in Miami, and the play is informed by his personal experiences representing professors who have been caught in the net of cancel culture. The Cancellation of Lauren Fein opens on February 2 (8pm) and runs through February 16, with specially priced previews on January 31 and February 1 (7:30pm).      

The brilliant Lauren Fein and her wife, Paola Moreno, are professors at a prestigious American university. They live with Dylan, their 16-year-old African American foster son whom they've cared for since he was a baby. In other words, they appear to be the poster family for “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” But when Professor Fein's actions run afoul of the university's DEI policies, her groundbreaking research, her career, and her family are all put in jeopardy. 

The Cancellation of Lauren Fein is in some ways an homage to playwright Arthur Miller, particularly the play The Crucible. Demos-Brown makes that explicit in the play's script, quoting the character of Miller's John Proctor prior to the start of the text: “Now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!”

 

“Early in the process of writing the play, I knew I wanted to incorporate the idea of what happens when a community turns against you, as Miller did in The Crucible,” said Demos-Brown, who pays tribute to Miller in various ways during the play. “It's a very similar dynamic; there's this new code being imposed on people, and how do they react to it?”

Margaret M. Ledford directs this world premiere production, which features Niki Fridh as Lauren Fein, Diana Garle (PBD debut) as Paula Moreno and, in alphabetical order, Odera Adimorah (PBD debut), Kaelyn Ambert-Gonzalez (PBD debut), Malcolm Callender (PBD debut), Lindsey Corey, Bruce Linser, Barbara Sloan, Karen Stephens, and Stephen Trovillion. Scenic design is by Anne Mundell, video design is by Adam J. Thompson, costume design is by Brian O'Keefe, lighting design is by Kirk Bookman, and sound design is by Roger Arnold. Nicole Perry (PBD debut) is the intimacy choreographer.

Christopher Demos-Brown's writing honors include the Laurents/ Hatcher Award, a Steinberg Citation, and several Carbonell Awards. He is the author of numerous plays, including When the Sun Shone Brighter, Fear Up Harsh, Stripped, Captiva, and American Son, which had a successful run on Broadway in 2018. It starred Kerry Washington, and has been translated into multiple languages. Demos-Brown wrote and co-produced a Netflix original movie based on the play that received an Emmy nomination for best TV movie (currently running on Netflix). He is also a practicing lawyer and a founding member of Zoetic Stage in Miami, where he lives with his wife, Stephanie, and their daughters, Kate and Jilly. He is grateful to Sue Ellen, Bill, and the whole PBD organization for their courage in and commitment to producing The Cancellation of Lauren Fein. 

Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, nonprofit theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Each season, the award-winning company produces five mainstage shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre and in schools. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through initiatives including The Dramaworkshop and the Perlberg Festival of New Plays. PBD is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional Theatres Association, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, and NNPN. www.palmbeachdramaworks.com

Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, and Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Matinee performances are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Post-performance discussions follow weekday matinees. 

Tickets for all performances are $89, except for opening night ($104) and previews ($69). Student tickets are available for $15 with a valid K-12 or university/college ID, and anyone under 40 pays $40 (no additional fees) with a photo ID. Tickets for educators are half price with proper ID (other restrictions apply). Group rates for 10 or more and subscription packages are available. Tickets can be purchased through the box office, in person or by phone (561.514.4042 ext 2), and online 24 hours a day at www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.



The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) 514-4042, or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.

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