Episode Details

As the Trump administration scrubs Jan 6 records, issues mass pardons to over 1,200 rioters, and faces lawsuits from those same insurrectionists accusing police of excessive force, an Off-Off-Broadway comedy confronts the insurrection’s chaotic aftermath with sharp laughs. No one else has satirized Jan 6 in a stoner rock-n-roll situation-comedy play. Come and Knock Down My Door, written by film and theater artist and satirist Alex Emanuel (son of famous political illustrator Robert Grossman) and directed by actor/director Philip Cruise, premieres May 7-30 at NYC’s The Gene Frankel Theatre (16 performances, $35). Set on Jan 7, 2021, it follows a pot-dealing Trump supporter returning to his liberal NYC roommates amid FBI fears - hilarity through the heartache of a divided America. Director Cruise notes: “If I can make the audience laugh while calling attention to the piece of history that so many are trying to rewrite and erase, I’m doing my job as a theatre producer and as an American.” Playwright Emanuel adds: “Now is surely the time for it. We need to laugh, and we need to be reminded of how we got here. Like political caricature lampoons figures, a situation like Jan 6 and its aftermath exists to be ridiculed. Our late-night comedians are losing their jobs now and we cannot only depend on them.” Audience feedback from readings has been glowing: “Brought a light touch to a heavy subject with no loss of impact or weight,” “A very funny, prescient and somewhat terrifying play,” and “Come and Knock Down My Door could be an underground sensation!” 

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