People's Light Launches New Web Series AMERICA 2AM

Amidst a neverending lockdown, what secrets, scandals, and salacious exchanges unfold in the middle of the night? People's Light presents America 2am, a new web series streaming exclusively on peopleslight.org. Each installment of this original anthology series lets you into the late-night Zoom conversations no one else was supposed to witness, with a new cast and storyline every episode. So, settle in, put on your headphones, and hack into America at 2am.

The first installment of the four-episode series is available March 1, with new episodes added on March 15, 22, and 26. Streaming ends on April 4, 2021. Each episode runs about 30 minutes. A one-time $15 purchase provides access to all four episodes. People's Light recommends America 2am for viewers 18+ due to mature themes, sexual content, and strong language. Learn more at peopleslight.org.

America 2am is the next premium digital experience to stream on the Theatre's virtual stage, Always On, as part of its Winter/Spring Digital Season. Among many new forays into digital content, America 2am is the most experimental, not to mention risqué, that People's Light has attempted so far. The entire series was conceived, rehearsed, recorded, and edited remotely via Zoom. The idea came from Producing Director Zak Berkman, who wrote two of the four episodes, partly inspired by his previous work in daytime television.

"I grew up loving soap operas, and wrote for a few. During the height of the first wave of the pandemic, as theatres around the world turned to Zoom as a means of production, I recalled the early days of television when the medium substantially evolved thanks to the inclusion of daytime serials on the networks."

Berkman continues, "At their best, soaps lure you in with melodrama, then surprise you with their understanding of human emotions and their complex way of tackling politically controversial stories. America 2am isn't a soap, but it has a similar duality-part voyeuristic guilty pleasure, part social exploration, and lots of subversive fun." Read more about the genesis of America 2am on the People's Light blog.

In Episode 1: "Oh, Canada," a woman makes a monumental request of her estranged ex-lover to save her troubled son. Written by Berkman and directed by People's Light Executive Artistic Director Abigail Adams, "Oh, Canada" is the first writer/director collaboration between Berkman and Adams, and features longtime People's Light company members Janis Dardaris, most recently seen in People's Light's production of The Children, and David Ingram, last seen at People's Light in 2017's Moon Over Buffalo.

Next up, "Leaving Teaching" follows young teacher Cordae as she maintains a secret life online selling sex toys to virgins to afford her mother's medical bills. Late one night, she's surprised by a fan with a potentially indecent proposal. Episode 2 is directed by People's Light Resident Director Steve H. Broadnax III, who most recently directed their commissioned digital short 20/20 Vision, and is written by poet and playwright Candrice Jones. When asked what drew her to the project, Jones offers, "One conversation amongst young Americans is debt. Many times, narratives regarding debt, especially in theater, involve patriarchal figures such as Troy Maxson of Fences and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. I wanted to write about debt in a capitalist society from the perspective of a young Black woman who is doing her best to control her own fate."

"Leaving Teaching" stars film, television, and theatre actors Sola Bamis, who portrayed Shirley on the final season of Mad Men, and DeWanda Wise, best known for her work as Nola Darling in Spike Lee's Netflix adaptation of She's Gotta Have It, and who has a lead role in the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion. The episode also features returning guest artist Eric Robinson Jr., who appeared in 20/20 Vision and 2019's acclaimed world premiere of Mud Row at People's Light.

Episode 3: "The Perilous Flight" is also penned by Berkman with Adams at the helm. In early 2021, two lovers and environmental activists differ radically over whether their next move should be to disrupt or disappear. "The Perilous Flight" is connected to the first episode, "Oh, Canada" but can be watched on its own, and stars People's Light company members Aubie Merrylees, who appeared in Broadway's To Kill A Mockingbird in 2018, and Claire Inie-Richards, a Philly-favorite who last appeared at People's Light in Our Town.

Guadalís Del Carmen's "Lucía and Sophi Moans" is the fourth and final episode of America 2am to stream this spring. Sexually unfulfilled by her long-term boyfriend, Lucía turns to online persona "Sophi Moans" for help. Soon the two women get more than they bargained for. For director David Mendizábal, the project is an exploration of our need for human connection. "It's been almost a year since we've been able to safely gather, and the feeling of loneliness and longing for human intimacy is real. America 2am gives us a chance to look into conversations among people who are feeling that longing and finding connections online as a way to reconnect with something they're missing." Episode 4 stars People's Light newcomers Cindy De La Cruz, whose TV credits include The Village (NBC) and Blue Bloods (CBS), and sought-after screen and stage actor Kara Young.

To post a comment, you must register and login.