Fear Itself at the Theatre For The New City

Theatre For The New City presents Fear Itself, by Jean-Claude van Itallie, opening at Theatre For The New City on the 11 Dec 2005, following a preview on the 10 Dec, and running through to the 8 Jan 2006.

Fear Itself is a politically radical, and utterly up-to-date take on recent international events: while the sadistic, dyslexic Emperor Butch wages war in the far off land of Arockandahardplace, the consequences of his actions and behavior -- not to mention the dysfunction of his mother Big Mommy, his wife Little Mommy, his dog Rover, and his antic cabinet - are suffered by Emperor Butch's three children locked in the basement of the White House.

Fear Itself - which takes its title from the famous words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" - considers the ramifications of big money in government, false intelligence, leaks, and the manipulation of the press and public.

The cast for Fear Itself, directed by George Ferencz, features Ken Perlstein, Susan Patrick, Timothy Doyle, Joe Gioco, Roland Sands, Rene Andersen and Jenne Vath.

About Fear Itself, Mr. Ferencz says, "Not since Barbara Garson nailed LBJ in McBIRD (in her 1966 play) has there been so strong and so pointed a theatrical caricature of a sitting administration and their policies. It's a sort of political cartoon in theatrical form."