Woolly Mammoth to Present World Premiere of ZOMBIE: THE AMERICAN

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company announces its climactic production of Season 35, the world premiere of Zombie: The American by Woolly's playwright-in-residence Robert O'Hara, directed by Woolly Mammoth Artistic Director Howard Shalwitz. Zombie: The American will run from May 25 to June 21, 2015.

Zombie: The American, described by the playwright as "a cross between Jacobean tragedy and Dr. Strangelove," is a futuristic political satire set in the year 2063. Thom Valentine, the first openly gay President of the United States, faces a host of problems: an imminent civil war, the threat of an African invasion, an adulterous First Gentleman, and zombies in the basement of the White House! With his power, his marriage, and the nation's well-being at stake, he must decide what he cares most about saving...and at what cost.

"What does Robert O'Hara dream about at night?" asks Shalwitz. "The answer must be something like Zombie: The American, a play of reckless daring that asks if the White House is our castle, what are we hiding in the dungeon?"

This is the third new play by Robert O'Hara to be launched at Woolly Mammoth. O'Hara's Antebellum (2009) won the 2010 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, and his 2011 play Bootycandy went on to enjoy successful runs in Philadelphia and New York. O'Hara's other recent work includes Insurrection: Holding History, which premiered at the New York Shakespeare Festival and received the Oppenheimer Award for Best New American Play.

Zombie: The American is the first of Woolly's FREE THE BEAST! commission projects to reach the Woolly stage. FREE THE BEAST!, a Woolly initiative founded in 2012, is supporting the production of 25 new plays over a ten-year period. This commission in particular was developed with Woolly, and the city of Washington, DC, in mind. Working closely with Associate Artistic Director Miriam Weisfeld, O'Hara created the play over a three year period marked by frequent trips to DC, a major creative retreat in Lake George, NY, and an event in Woolly's Appetizers series featuring scene reading and zombie physicality workshops for a live audience. One of the first research activities sponsored by FREE THE BEAST!, a tour of the White House itself, proved to be a key inspiration for the play.

"On a sweltering July night in 2012, Robert O'Hara and I stood outside the West Wing of the White House," says Weisfeld. "And with that peek inside the empty halls of the Presidency, Zombie: The American began."

Howard Shalwitz, who garnered a Helen Hayes Award nomination for his 2013 direction of Stupid F**king Bird, returns to lead the creative team. The cast of Zombie: The American features Woolly Company Members Sarah Marshall* (Marie Antoinette, Civilization), Dawn Ursula* (Marie Antoinette, recipient of the 2013 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role in The Convert), Jessica Frances Dukes* (Bootycandy) and Tim Getman* (Detroit, Appropriate). It also includes Sean Meehan* (The Totalitarians) and Woolly newcomers James Seol*, Thomas Keegan*, and Luigi Sottile*.

More information about Woolly's 35th Anniversary Season and our recently announced 36th Season can be found at woollymammoth.net.

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