AMERICA 20XX Show Dates Have Been Announced!
AMERICA 20XX will be performed at the Players Theatre at 115 MacDougal Street.
- Friday 8/8 @ 7:30
- Sunday 8/10 @ 3:00
- Thursday 8/14 @ 9:45
- Friday 8/15 @ 11:45
- Monday 8/18 @ 6:00
- (All shows are PM)
What is America 20XX?
AMERICA 20XX is a sci-fi political satire that follows America's last superheroes, The Power Patriots, as they battle the twin dangers of an evil computer virus and civic apathy. The show itself is a modern-day homage to both the political philosophy of Alexis de Tocqueville and every sci-fi cliché known to man. AMERICA 20XX will debut at the 2008 New York International Fringe Festival.
Clichés? Such as?
The contrivances in AMERICA 20XX include (but are not limited to) time travel, an evil computer virus, mysterious prophecies, child messiahs, monosyllabic animal sidekicks, and a crowd-pleasing romance that makes zero sense whatsoever.
Oh yeah, and a giant robot battle. Can't forget the giant robot battle. It's in the first 10 minutes of the show.
Besides Tocqueville, what else influenced this show?
AMERICA 20XX alludes implicitly, explicitly, or tenuously to the following things:
John Carpenter's Escape from New York, Walter Benjamin's Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, The Last Dragon, the Mega Man video game series, Ultraman, Samurai Shodown, Kraftwerk, High Plains Drifter, Chaka Khan, Giorgio Moroder, the Darkstalkers video game series, Children of Men, Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone, Bob Fosse, Mark Millar's tenure on The Authority and The Ultimates, The Justice Society of America, 2000 AD, Jerry Bruckheimer...
Jerry Bruckheimer? For real?
Anyone who does not appreciate the subtle genius of Jerry Bruckheimer should be arrested for criminal uncoolness. AMERICA 20XX is inspired by the solemn patriotism of The Rock and Con Air and the plaintive aesthetics of Transformers, Cat People, and Flashdance.
Jerry Bruckheimer produced Flashdance?
Yup.
Were you inspired by his work on Kangaroo Jack?
No.
How about his production on Pirates of the Caribbean?
Only the first one. The rest just made everyone upset.
Let's talk politics. What's your message?
AMERICA 20XX has no explicitly partisan agenda. You won't see George Bush dressed up as chimpanzee* since that would simply insult your intelligence and just bore the shit out of you.
Instead, AMERICA 20XX diagnoses contemporary problems that are a lousy deal for all Americans, including the shitty Constitutional precedent set by indefinite extradition, party polarization along zero-sum issues, and how modern technology is boning the American civic ideal.
AMERICA 20XX gives no easy answers since, well, it's a 70 minute sketch comedy show. If the show leaves you unsatisfied, go talk to the MacArthur Foundation or something.
* We were however tempted to dress a chimpanzee up as George Bush (simians are hilarious!) but FringeNYC has a strict "no animals" policy.
How can I contact you guys?
Send an email to America20XX@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page.