New England Entertainment Digest - Online
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Zeitgeist Presents a Presidential Comedy

BOSTON, MA: It's been a rough and tumble presidential primary season (sound familiar?), but Jerry, a ruthless campaign manager whose unorthodox methods seemingly guarantee results, is sitting on top of the world: his candidate leads the polls by a double digit margin. And then it happens - a wisp of scandal is dangled in front of him by his equally ferocious rival. Details are vague, but one person and three little letters are made perfectly clear: the candidate’s wife and S-E-X. Jerry has two hours to verify the accusation’s validity and squelch it or prepare to present his candidate with an agonizing ultimatum. In this riveting comedy-meets-political-thriller hybrid, masters of spin play a high stakes chess game where the first prize is our government.

Zeitgeist Stage Company presents the second production of Spin in the US, following successful productions in both Philadelphia (Wilma Theater) and Britain. This New England premiere will run from April 18 through May 9, 2008 at the Plaza Black Box Theater at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA).

Zeitgeist Stage Company’s Artistic Director David Miller first read the script for Spin in 2005, and immediately thought of Steve Barkhimer for the role of Jerry, the maniacal campaign manager, having previously directed him in Blue/Orange, the ’05 Elliot Norton Award winner for Outstanding Fringe Theater Production. David and Steve have been trying to coordinate their respective theater schedules for the last three years to collaborate on this show in Boston, and that time has indeed arrived.

Joining Steve Barkhimer in the cast is Peter Brown as the candidate, Henry Champlain. Peter has been featured in Zeitgeist Stage productions of Bee-luther-hatchee (’02), Stuff Happens (’06, Donald Rumsfeld), and The Kentucky Cycle (’07). Christine Power portrays the candidate’s wife, Alexandra, having appeared in Stuff Happens (’06) and The Kentucky Cycle (’07). Melissa Baroni portrays Elizabeth, Jerry’s essential campaign assistant, having appeared in Zeitgeist productions of Flesh and Blood (’06), Sacred Hearts (’07), and The Kentucky Cycle (’07). Elisa MacDonald is Mary, the adversarial campaign manager, and was featured in multiple roles in Zeitgeist’s Valhalla (’07). "Raw, hilarious, and right on the money," was how London’s The Evening Standard described Spin. While on these shores the Intelligencer/Record (Philadelphia) described Spin as, "A wrenchingly disturbing portrait of American politics at its down-and-dirty worst." (It doesn’t get better than that!) Spin was selected for the 2000 London Critics' Choice Season by Time Out Magazine.
With Spin, Zeitgeist Stage Company closes out its ’07-’08 season, which began in epic fashion with The Kentucky Cycle, named Best of ’07 by The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix, and The New England Entertainment Digest.

Spin will be presented at the Plaza Black Box Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts from April 18 through May 9, 2008 with performances Thursday and Friday at 8 PM, Tickets are $35, discounted tickets for Seniors & Students are $30. There will be a pay-what-you-can night on Thursday, April 24, $5 minimum. Tickets may be purchased from the Calderwood Pavilion box office at 527 Tremont Street or by calling 617.933.8600. Tickets can also be purchased on-line at BostonTheatreScene.com. The BCA is located at 539 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End and is handicap accessible. For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.ZeitgeistStage.com.