Theatre Makers is pleased to present a video collection of the 20/20 play as performed at the 2019 San Francisco Fringe Festival. The collection starts with the Prologue / Act I / Decision Point video. At the Decision Point, viewers may choose to view one of the eight scenario videos or the Coda / End Credits video. See the Assassination Disclaimer below.
You can choose the 20/20 Video playlist:
20/20 Video Playlist
Or you can choose the videos of the eight scenarios and Coda / End Credits one by one below:
Prologue / Act I / Decision Point
Decentralized Revolution Scenario
Assassination Scenario
General Strike Scenario
Impeachment Scenario
Military Coup Scenario
Corporate Coup Scenario
Electoral Progress Scenario
Do Nothing Scenario
Coda / End Credits
.
Assassination Disclaimer:
The writers expressly denounce the assassination of political figures and intend the fictional Assassination scenario in the “20/20” play to discourage any such actions. During these politically polarized times, we have noticed a trend on left and right to direct animus toward individual figures and to imagine that violence against individuals would solve shared political woes, when the truth is that such strategies or tactics would only cause a strong reaction of repressive laws and human rights abuses, rather than constructive political change. Out of concern for human life and for our collective power, we oppose true-life assassinations and present them here merely in the context of fiction to channel those impulses harmlessly in a sort of catharsis for those daydreaming about such possibilities.
It’s the year 2020. The President has been re-elected, the climate is heating up, and the economy is in meltdown. Now, it’s up to all of us to figure out what happens next. In this 60-minute satirical participatory performance, audience members choose from a list of possible scenarios they want staged: impeachment? a coup? a revolution? “20/20” asks what people power looks like in a time of vast uncertainty when even choosing to do nothing at all has its consequences.
“20/20” will have four performances at the San Francisco Fringe Festival, September 7-14, plus a possible bonus performance on September 15, 2019.
It’s the year 2020. The President has been re-elected, the climate is heating up, and the economy is in meltdown. Now, it’s up to all of us to figure out what happens next. In this 60-minute satirical participatory performance, audience members choose from a list of possible scenarios they want staged: impeachment? a coup? a revolution? “20/20” asks what people power looks like in a time of vast uncertainty when even choosing to do nothing at all has its consequences.
“20/20” will have four performances at the San Francisco Fringe Festival, September 7-14, plus a possible bonus performance on September 15, 2019.
Actor Matt shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the 20/20 play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
It’s the year 2020. The President has been re-elected, the climate is heating up, and the economy is in meltdown. Now, it’s up to all of us to figure out what happens next. In this 60-minute satirical participatory performance, audience members choose from a list of possible scenarios they want staged: impeachment? a coup? a revolution? 20/20 asks what people power looks like in a time of vast uncertainty when even choosing to do nothing at all has its consequences.
20/20 will have four performances at the San Francisco Fringe Festival, September 7-14, plus a possible bonus performance on September 15, 2019.
20/20 Cast & Crew in front of the EXIT Theatre in San Francisco20/20 Play Cast & Crew Photo
Actor David-Henry Bennett shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the 20/20 play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Co-writer and director Stardust shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the 20/20 play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Actor Geeta Rai shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the 20/20 play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Actor Hima Menon shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the “20/20” play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Actor Jess Thompson shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the 20/20 play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Actor Nadeem Anjum shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the 20/20 play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Actor Matt shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the 20/20 play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Actor Ryan Samarakoon shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the “20/20” play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Co-writer Kari Barclay shares thoughts and feelings in this video about the 20/20 play from the Theatre Makers project of the Ritual Art Troupe.
20/20 Play Character Anna with pussy hat, trench coat, and rocket launcher20/20 Play Actors Jess Thompson, Hima Menon, Ryan Samarakoon, and Nadeem Anjum, on a well-deserved vegan meal break from rehearsals20/20 Play: Rehearsal of Assassin Choking President20/20 Play: Rehearsal of Assassin Choking President
Nadeem (he, his, him) is from Calcutta and first started acting in college. Since then, Nadeem has focused on improv with the South Bay Improv group and had his U.S. acting debut with the Theatre Makers as Gorilla in “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and as a wealthy entrepreneur in “Ecopocalypse” (2018).
David-Henry Bennett (ELLIS)
David-Henry (he, his, him) is a native of Atlanta who started acting at the age of 3. He has acted in many roles, both comedic and dramatic and is currently studying his final year for an MFA in Acting at Academy of Art University. He plans to work in television and stage after graduation. David-Henry is also a dancer and writer. He also want a career in education as a means of giving back. He feels that acting is a way of expressing things we don’t normally get to express and allowing ourselves to be in harms way as a way of sharing with people how they can heal. David-Henry first appeared with Theatre Makers as Cow in “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and as a wandering indigent in “Ecopocalypse” (2018).
Matt (ENSEMBLE)
Matt (he, his, him) first performed at a Fringe Festival in Edinburgh at the age of 16 and is happy to be back, this time in San Francisco. Matt also acted in the Theatre Makers productions of “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and “Ecopocalype” (2018). Matt is a multimedia artist and virtual reality developer. He co-founded Virtual Bytes, an art, education and research collective creating virtual reality experiences and research that utilize neuroscience concepts to explore the mind/body connection. He is passionate about using his background in creative media and technology to develop virtual reality experiences that challenge our preconceptions about the world around us, and help us connect to each other in new ways. Matt also serves on the Board of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Hima Menon (TV NEWS HOST)
Hima (she, her, her) is very happy to be part of Theatre Makers. She is from the San Francisco Bay Area where she is currently training with The Meisner Technique studio. She is passionate about art in any form and loves to be part of theatre productions as much as possible. She is a software engineer by the day but strives to complete her training one day and submit more of herself to art. She has been part of a few art projects around the Bay Area and hopes to be able to contribute more as time progresses. “20/20” is Hima’s debut with Theatre Makers.
Geeta Rai (MASTER OF CEREMONIES)
Geeta (she, her, her) is a Bay Area Theater and Film Actor whose recent theater credits include Naatak’s “Rabbit Hole” and “EnActe Arts, Go to Your Room, Mother!”. Her theater education includes the Trinity College of London’s Speech and Drama Curriculum and Foothill College Acting Coursework. When she is not on stage/set/auditioning, she helps manage a theatre non-profit that promotes South Asian themed theater and children education programs. She is excited to perform at the Fringe Festival in San Francisco. “20/20” is Geeta’s debut with Theatre Makers.
Ryan Samarakoon (President)
Ryan (he, his, him) is from London, was raised in the midwest, and has now lived in the Bay Area for 3 years. He is excited to get back into acting after a hiatus during his neuroscience studies. He has had a passion for the arts since he was 6 years old when he began singing, acting, and playing violin. He will be training at the American Conservatory Theatre in the fall. Ryan is thrilled about his debut role with Theatre Makers in “20/20”.
Jess Thompson (ANNA)
Jess (she, her, her) studied Social Work in her graduate program and Acting and Psychology in her undergraduate program. Jess currently works as a therapist with low-income high school students. She is excited to merge her passions for theatre and social justice. “20/20” is Jess’ debut with Theatre Makers.
Dennie Warren (OCTAVIA, VP)
Dennie (she, her, her) has appeared in a wide variety of films, television series, and plays, as a featured actor and as an extra. Dennie is excited for her theatrical debut to be a role in “20/20” with Theatre Makers.
Crew / Personnel
Kari Barclay (CO-WRITER)
Kari (he, his, him) is a director, playwright, and researcher completing his PhD in Theater and Performance Studies at Stanford University. Originally from Washington, DC, he has made work regionally and in New York at venues including the San Francisco Mime Troupe Studio, Round House Theater, and Manbites Dog. His original play, “Can I Hold You?”, was one of the first plays about asexuality performed in the U.S. and enjoyed runs in San Francisco and Brooklyn. Kari is a co-writer of the Theatre Maker play “20/20”. More at kari-barclay.com
Stardust Doherty (DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER)
Stardust (ze/per/herm) is a playwright, composer, musician (oboe and English horn), and English teacher. Stardust is focused long-term on the True of Voice musical dance theatre production and is a co-organizer of the Theatre Makers Meetup, as well as other playwrighting and composing projects. Stardust serves on the Board of Ritual Art Troupe, as well as two other non-profit organizations, the Online Policy Group and the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra. Stardust formerly worked at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Verified Voting Foundation, and at various high-tech companies during a prior career. Stardust began directing plays with per Shakespeare adaptation “A Midwinter Afternoon’s Nightmare” and the original “Bush Faeries: The Musical” (2018) staged at Breitenbush Community Hot Springs winter radical faerie gatherings. Along the way, there was an agit prop production of “Occupy San Francisco Employee Retirement System” (2013) in response to the bankster housing crisis. Stardust is a co-writer with Iryna Lymar and director of the Theatre Maker plays “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and “Ecopocalypse” (2018) and co-writer with Iryna Lymar of “You Too” (planned 2019) and the director of and a co-writer with Kari Barclay of “20/20” (San Francisco Fringe Festival 2019).
Bert van Aalsburg (Stage Manager)*
Bert (he, his, him) embarked on a full-time theater career in the mid-70s as the technical director and utility player for the Red Barn Theater in Saugatuck, Michigan. In 1987, he came west as technical director for the Great American Melodrama in San Luis Obispo. After a season with the Melodrama, Bert moved to the Bay Area. In 1999, he joined the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre to stage manage their first production of Black Nativity. He continued as their SM of choice and recently stage managed their productions of How I Learned What I Learned and Urban Retreat this past spring. Other notable productions include the premieres of Stones in His Pockets at Magic Theatre and Mission Magic Mystery Show with Culture Clash. The list also includes Godfellas with SF Mime Troupe and The Thomashefsky’s at SF Symphony. When not stage managing, Bert keeps busy in other areas of theater where he has earned critical acclaim as a lighting and scenic designer. Additionally, Bert is an active member of Actors’ Equity.
* These Actors and Stage Managers appear with the special permission of Actors’ Equity Association.
The People’s Pop-Up Climate Justice Theatre was created by Theatre Makers for the purpose of participating in the activities surrounding the Global Rise for Climate March in San Francisco on September 8, 2018.
The project involved presenting four performances each of two plays:
Ecopocalypse: a dystopian play in which corporations and the wealthy continue the pursuit of profit at the expense of the environment
Animal Factory Farm: a play portraying a fable about animals treated poorly by humans who band together and learn that humans are risking not only animal lives, but everything about our way of life on earth
Theatre Makers is a project of the Ritual Art Troupe, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Jacob Breedlove (President/Executive Director, founding member, he/his/him) Jacob is a musician, puppeteer, artist and teacher, who is devoted to sharing his love of history and human culture, especially through performance and teaching. He is the founder and director of Rag on a Stick Theatre and the founder and co-director, with Laura Kuhlman, of Orchestra of the Moon, based in Portland, Oregon. Special areas of focus are: Medieval and Renaissance music, early dance and drama, puppetry, the construction, repair and playing of ancient musical instruments, particularly harpsichord, clavichord, hurdy-gurdy, vielle, viola da gamba, and capped reeds.
Stardust Doherty (Secretary and Treasurer, founding member, ze/per/herm) Stardust is a playwright, composer, and musician (oboe and English horn). Stardust is a co-writer (with Iryna Lymar) and director of the Theatre Makers plays “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and “Ecopocalypse” (2018) and co-writer (with Iryna Lymar) of “You Too” (2019) and a co-writer (with Kari Barclay) and director of “20/20” (San Francisco Fringe Festival 2019 and San Francisco Free Library Tour 2020). Stardust began directing plays with per Shakespeare adaptation “A Midwinter Afternoon’s Nightmare” and the original “Bush Faeries: The Musical” (2018) staged at Breitenbush Community Hot Springs radical faerie gatherings. Along the way, there was an agit prop production of “Occupy San Francisco Employee Retirement System” (2013) in response to the bankster housing crisis. Stardust is a co-organizer of the Theatre Makers Meetup, as well as other playwrighting and composing projects. Stardust also serves on the Board of Directors of other non-profit organizations: Online Policy Group, San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra, and FaeNet. Stardust formerly worked at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Verified Voting Foundation, as well as at various high-tech companies during a prior career.
Matt (joined March 28, 2018, he/his/him) Matt is a multimedia artist and virtual reality developer. He co-founded Virtual Bytes, an art, education and research collective creating virtual reality experiences and research that utilize neuroscience concepts to explore the mind/body connection. He is passionate about using his background in creative media and technology to develop virtual reality experiences that challenge our preconceptions about the world around us, and help us connect to each other in new ways. Matt acted and served on the crew for the Theatre Maker plays “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and “Ecopocalypse” (2018), and “20/20” (San Francisco Fringe Festival 2019).
Jean-Paul Jones (aka JP) (joined October 5, 2018, he/his/him) JP has worked as a music director, actor, and countertenor at a variety of theaters and schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and greater Los Angeles. With a B.M. in Vocal Performance from California State University at Northridge, JP performed in the Al McNeal Jubilee Singers, the L.A. Opera Chorus, and the Pacific Mozart Ensemble during the first decade of the 20th century. During this decade, JP performed in Pacific Collegium, the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, the Cathedral of Christ the Light Chorus, and still performs in the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorus. Theater credits include the role of Jamie in “The Last Five Years” at the Moonlet Theater, Irving in “Babes at Arms”, an ensemble role in “No No Nanette”, and musical director roles for “Sweet Charity” at 42nd Street Moon, “Cabaret” at Abraham Lincoln High School, and “Seussical the Musical” at Mercy High School. JP has worked as music director of Young Performers Thatre and St. James School and recently starred in the West Edge Opera premiere of “Mata Hari”.
Emeritus Board
Emeritus Board Directors include the following:
Iryna Lymar (joined October 5, 2018, resigned September 15, 2021, she/her/her) Iryna was born in Ukraine, lived in China for 8 years, and eventually moved to California. She studied linguistics and speaks 4 languages: English, Chinese (Mandarin), Ukrainian, and Russian. While doing management and translation jobs in China, Iryna started exploring writing and the theater world. She wrote a compilation of stories about strangers called “Just some strangers on the way” (the book is registered in Ukraine) and a short script called “Robot Buddha”. She co-directed the “Robot Buddha” play in Shenzhen, China, in 2016. Besides that, she was an active member of improv group called “Planet Factory” and acted at monthly shows for a year. Now Iryna lives in San Francisco, teaches yoga and participates in local theater life. Iryna is a co-writer of the Theatre Makers plays “Animal Factory Farm” (2018), “Ecopocalypse” (2018) and co-writer and director of “You Too” (2019).
Mark Alburger (founding member, resigned March 2, 2018)
Join Us!
Ritual Art Troupe is always seeking new talent and experience for its Board of Directors. If you are interested or know someone who might be a good fit, please email info@ritualart.org.
