Rob Lorino
“Muckrakers,” New Rep Theatre’s latest production, features Esme Allen and Lewis D. Wheeler in a play reminiscent of the WikiLeaks/NSA controversy.
The first play in the New Rep Black Box Festival tells a story that will be familiar to those who followed the saga of Edward Snowden, WikiLeaks and the NSA.
Zayd Dohrn’s “Muckrakers” runs from Jan. 10-Feb 1 in the Black Box Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St. in Watertown.
“In the second year of our Next Rep Black Box Festival, we continue to present adventurous, intimate plays that allow audiences to connect to works on a much more personal level,” says Artistic Director, Jim Petosa. “Muckrakers embodies those themes, as well as New Rep’s
mission to present work that speaks directly to the issues and ideas of our time. In a world that has become increasingly interconnected, privacy, the need to know, and the right to information sits front and center in our collected cultural zeitgeist. Muckrakers deftly
probes those subjects in a fascinating and absorbing manner.”
The Boston Globe said Muckrakers is “an absorbing play that’s ripped from the headlines.” According to New Rep, the play follows a young activist who hosts a famous political journalist/hacker in her apartment. What follows is an evening full of rich debate over who has the right to information, how much the public needs to know, and the consequences of power. Dynamics shift when secrets are revealed and each discovers that there is always a price to pay for privacy. In the wake of controversy surrounding WikiLeaks and NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden.
Managing Director Harriet Sheets said she hopes to build on the success of last year’s inaugural Next Rep Black Box Festival.
“This year, we hope to continue those successes as we present four remarkable plays beginning with the evocative area premiere of
Zayd Dohrn’s MUCKRAKERS,” Sheets said. “We’re pleased to welcome back two outstanding performers from our 2013-2014 season: Lewis D. Wheeler and Esme Allen. Their work at New Rep and in the Boston area has delighted audiences, and we’re thrilled to have them with us once again.”
Tickets are $36 and may be purchased by calling the New Rep Box
Office at 617-923-8487 or visiting newrep.org. Student, senior, and group discounts are available. Subscription packages including Muckrakers are also available.