New York City
AFFLUENZA!, a world premiere comedy by Victory Gardens Playwrights Ensemble member James Sherman, is a wicked contemplation of today’s culture of decadence and greed served up in delicious comedic form and fashion.
Imagine the favorite characters from 17th century theater: the cuckolded
husband, the wily servant, the maiden, the true-wit, the fop, the coquette.
In AFFLUENZA!, yesterday’s archetypes exist in today’s new world of cell phones, Ebay, plastic surgery, Starbucks and the new Soldier Field. The
plot revolves around William Moore, a real estate magnate who lives high
above Lake Michigan, his only company his assistant, Bernard, and his net
worth of $650 million. William has just rediscovered love with Dawn, an
innocent woman half his age, of simple means, and seemingly good intent.
But Bill’s parasitic son Jerome, nephew Eugene, and ex-wife Ruth are
convinced Dawn’s just a garden variety golddigger. As AFFLUENZA! takes hold, each character scrambles to protect his or her bottom line, and who gets what and who ends up with whom is revealed in surprise after hilarious surprise.