"One Empire, Under God" Streaming OnDemand at Three Festivals This Year
Originally presented in November 2021, the production will be available as part of the digital programming of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Calgary Fringe Festival & the Rochester Fringe Festival
Later this year, the recording of the original live production One Empire, Under God - Anthony J. Piccione’s polarizing dystopian drama which premiered last year in November 2021 - will be available for worldwide OnDemand streaming as part of the digital programming offered at three fringe festivals.
Directed by Andrés Gallardo Bustillo and presented at The Tank, located at 312 W 36th Street, New York, NY, the show will be offered for limited-time viewing courtesy of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, (United Kingdom, August 4-29) the Calgary Fringe Festival (Canada, August 6-27, Featured Artist Selection) & the Rochester Fringe Festival. (United States, September 2022, Details TBA)
Upper left - Marc Verzatt (Reverend Ian MacDougal) & Trey Shields (Damian Cunningham); upper right - Gian Caro (Josh Garcia) & Sarah Spagnuolo (Jessa Barclay); lower left - Marcus R. Smith (General River Kalvin) & Gian Caro (Josh Garcia); lower right - Sarah Spagnuolo (Jessa Barclay) & J.J. Miller (Darren Cunningham)
Set in the far distant future, One Empire, Under God is a cautionary tale in two acts that 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.
Prior to the live production, the play had premiered virtually on Zoom in July 2021 and recently received six nominations at the 2021 BroadwayWorld Off/Off-Off-Broadway Awards, with J.J. Miller winning in the category for Best Performance in a Streaming Play.
The live production at The Tank 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)
