One Empire, Under God

A cautionary tale in two acts about the dangers of religious extremism and right-wing populism.

Dec 19, 2021

Read below for details on upcoming screenings of our pre-recorded live production - taped in front of a live audience in November 2021 at The Tank in NYC - and scroll down to learn more about One Empire, Under God.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe OnDemand Screening - August 4-29, 2022 - www.tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/one-empire-under-god
Calgary Fringe Festival Featured OnDemand Selection - August 6-27, 2022 -
www.calgaryfringe.ca/2022-calgary-fringe-festival
Rochester Fringe Festival OnDemand Screening - Coming September 2022. Ticket link TBA

The script will be published and available for production licensing at Next Stage Press (www.nextstagepress.com) beginning in February 2023. Check back later for details.

About the Play

Set in the far distant future, One Empire, Under God, an epic dystopian drama in two acts written by Anthony J. Piccione, tells the story of how an emotionally disturbed young man - with the help of virtual media technology - is able to rise to political power by inciting an uprising against America's openly atheist president, subverting democratic and military rule throughout Western civilization and paving the way for him and his descendants to rule for generations. Every step toward a more perfect union is followed by an enormous reactionary backlash. That historical trend remains very much alive in the future, as seen in this provocative indictment of nationalism, imperialism, and religious extremism.

Production & Developmental History

Presented via Zoom & live at The Tank in NYC over various performances in 2020 and 2021, the original production was directed by Andrés Gallardo Bustillo, who had previously collaborated with Piccione as the associate director of A Therapy Session with Myself, and before that, as an actor in What I Left Behind.

On October 16th, 2020, a minimalistic dramatic reading of the play was presented via Zoom exclusively for invited guests & donors to bring the play to an NYC stage in 2021. From July 2-11, 2021, a series of virtual performances on Zoom was presented to the public - which went on to earn six nominations at the 2021 BroadwayWorld Off/Off-Off-Broadway Awards, with J.J. Miller winning for Best Performance in a Streaming Play for his portrayal of Joshua Cunningham - prior to the live premiere at the Obie-winning performing arts venue The Tank, located at 312 W 36th Street, New York, NY, for a limited engagement that ran for live audiences and was broadcast worldwide via live stream on November 11-21, 2021.

The November 2021 production starred Trey Shields as Damian Cunningham, Marc Verzatt as Reverend Ian MacDougal, Sarah Spagnuolo as Jessa Barclay, Gian Caro as Josh Garcia, J.J. Miller as Darren Cunningham & Joshua Cunningham, Marcus R. Smith as General River Kalvin, Mary Miles as President Armani Bakali & Senator Jane Harvey, Clara Tan as Vice President Zaine Thompson, featuring Sabrina Lopez, Sarah Nowik, Michael Paone and Demonte Thompson. In addition to Mr. Piccione and Mr. Gallardo Bustillo, the production staff included Harrison H. Harper, (Stage Manager) Ella Rose, (Assistant Director) Valeriya Nedviga, (Set Designer) Nicole Sliwinski, (Lighting Design) Lissy Gold (Sound Design/Original Score) & Dimitri Saari. (Master Carpenter)

Learn more by visiting the digital program from our November 2021 production by clicking here.

Notable Press

Winners Announced For The 2021 BroadwayWorld Off/Off-Off Broadway Awards - BroadwayWorld - 1/10/22

JAN EWING reviews ONE EMPIRE, UNDER GOD - Hi! Drama - 11/17/21

Playwright Anthony J. Piccione - “One Empire, Under God” Play - Live at The Tank NYC (VIDEO) - STAGE EXPLORATIONS - 11/7/21

Director Andrés Gallardo Bustillo - “One Empire, Under God” Play - Live NYC debut @ The Tank (VIDEO) - STAGE EXPLORATIONS - 11/6/21

One Empire, Under God - Time Out New York - 11/1/21

A Conversation With The Playwright and Cast of “One Empire Under God” - OnStage Blog - 10/21/21

Photos