Hello, my lovely ‘bots – I’ve been tucked away in these woods directing theater students and fighting off a fever for a few weeks now. Many thoughts to share in this space on my experiences here, but first, a heads up about a new play by the collective Superhero Clubhouse:

Superhero Clubhouse presents MERCURY, a new play conceived and   directed by Jeremy Pickard, May 1-11, 2009, at The Tank, 345 W 45th St, New York, NY.

MERCURY is the third in a series of 8 ecologically-inspired Planet plays. Set at the birth of the American hat-making boom and told through the eyes of unemployed 26-year-olds across four centuries, MERCURY explores how the actions we take in the name of growth can have devastating effects on the world to come.  Previous plays in the series, URANUS and NEPTUNE, examined waste and climate change, respectively.

In 1780s Danbury, Connecticut, a young entrepreneur named Zoe Benedict is building hats.  Having stumbled upon a process by which to make felt, Zoe builds fifteen a day. Business booms, Danbury becomes the “Hat City of the World,” and “Zoe finds himself surrounded by new friends.”: there’s the woman living on his roof, waiting for the television to teach her how to fly; the ex-salesman moonlighting in drag; the hermetic bicyclist and his covert river missions; and the plastic man from the future;.  And then there’s the notorious Hole in the Sky, and the mysterious message Zoe has been commissioned to deliver through it. Increasingly plagued by uncertainty and illusion, Zoe and friends spiral helplessly into a strange universe as the poison embeds itself deeper and reality disappears.  Loosely inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories, MERCURY is a dark and wild romp of tea parties, tap dancing and toxicity.

The production runs for eight performances; all performances are pay-what-you-can. Reservations may be made by calling (212) 563-6269 or by visiting www.thetanknyc.org. Performance dates and times are: Friday, May 1st at 8pm; Saturday, May 2nd at 8pm; Sunday, May 3rd at 3:30pm; Saturday, May 9th at 3:30pm & 8pm; Sunday, May 10th at 3:30pm; and Monday, May 11th at 8pm

Additionally, a performance and party benefiting Superhero Clubhouse, with tickets priced $15-$30, will take place on May 4 at 8pm.

ABOUT SUPERHERO CLUBHOUSE

Superhero Clubhouse is a society of theatre artists conjured for creation of myth, cultivation of play and collective conversations engaged with the natural world.

Inspired by the childhood model of make-believe and by current movements in ecology, Superhero Clubhouse champions and practices Green Theatre, lowering its environmental impact and allowing theatre to thrive on total imagination.

More on Superhero Clubhouse and MERCURY here.

More on The Tank here.