American Magic

A city is under attack by an unseen enemy and security is at an all-time high. When a foreign-born mind reader entertains the President during a birthday gala, he is accused of stealing secrets from his head and being in collusion with terrorists.

In American Magic, this ripe and timely new play by Gil Kofman, a heated battle is taking shape on the streets of the American soul. Amid the smoldering prospect of perpetual paranoia and the flames of xenophobic fear, defending our liberty without imprisoning it in the process will require more than smoke and mirrors.

By using the metaphor of mind-reading to go beyond the standard profiling of those around us, the play interrogates the notion of “other” as an extension of ourselves and our fears, while poking fun at our eagerness to pawn civil liberties for an illusion of safety.

American Magic features original music by Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. Matthew Wilder directs.

Presented by Shock and Awe Productions in association with Amy Ziering and last word Productions.

There are additional performances May 6th and 7th at 8pm.