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 Judith Hawking as Penny at Southern Rep, Photo by John Barrois
THE TOTALITARIANS
"Think this past election was brutal? The campaign trail gets considerably nastier - and a whole lot funnier - in Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's oh-so-dark political satire "The Totalitarians."...Nachtrieb's mastery of plentiful, surefire, unexpected punch lines and circuitous plot twists is on full display. Rob Hurwitt, SF Chronicle
"Hilarious and painful and horrifying in the way it so effortlessly conjures a sham democracy populated by tricksters and schemers, murderers and mental incompetents." - Chad Jones, Theatre Dogs
"Riotous political comedy" - Bay Area Reporter
"Brutal, brilliant, and hilariously horrific " - My Cultural Landscape
"Nachtrieb's story of ambition run amok, scruples gleefully discarded, and desperate sexual desire is the funniest original script I have seen in this city in ages." - The Advocate
"-achieves a degree of timelessness in that he takes on not a single party or politician, but the entire political establishment. And he does it with a bite that raises the comedy to a cross between "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Dr. Strangelove."" - Times Picayune/Nola.com
"One of the most intensely insane pieces of comic writing to take the stage in a very long time." DC Metro Theatre Arts
"These four separate power struggles come to a head in the surprisingly action-packed finale, which features even grander sets, costumes, and stakes. In sheer manic giddiness, the play abruptly departs from an otherwise almost-believable tale of lust for power in Nebraska. But perhaps The Totalitarians seems to exceed belief only because it's premiering on a non-election year. Will the play feel more believable in hindsight by 2016? You betcha." DCist
"Nachtrieb's got a first class instinct for satire and human weakness and he’s pretty good with a dick joke to boot. It has been a while since I laughed so hard and so often as I did at Woolly's great, delightfully obscene production of this National New Play Network rolling premiere...I was equal parts thrilled and disgusted. Mostly thrilled." DC Theatre Scene
"Sharp, briskly paced, and very funny." The Washingtonian
"a deeply funny and scathing take on 21st century American politics and culture." - Metro Weekly
A raucous dark comedy that takes on modern political discourse and modern relationships, The Totalitarians centers on Francine-the ambitious campaign manager for Penelope Easter (a wealthy former roller derby queen turned train-wreck candidate for public office)-who comes up with a meaningless patriotic slogan so perfect it turns her gaffe prone boss into a real contender. But as victory can be tasted, Jeffrey, Francine's passive aggressive doctor husband, grows suspicious of his wife's boss and her possible sinister ambitions. Is revolution truly on the brink in Nebraska? Or is this just a marriage seriously on the rocks?
New Orleans, LA at Southern Rep, January 31-Feb 23 2014
Directed by Kenneth Prestininzi
Washington, DC at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, June 2-29 2014
Directed by Robert O'hara
San Francisco, CA at Z Space, November/December 2014
Directed by Kenneth Prestininzi
For a full listing of upcoming productions of my published plays, check out Dramatists Play Service's Page to Stage Tool
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