THE FRE by Taylor Mac to Open at Oakland Theater Project in Limited Run

Following 2024's production of Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, OTP will return to the category-defying work of MacArthur Genius Grant Recipient and Tony Award—nominee Taylor Mac with the bold new play of The Fre, directed by OTP's own Mylo Cardona (Assistant to the Artistic Director). Performances will take place at Oakland Theater Project (1501 MLK Jr Way, Oakland) in a strictly-limited two-week run from June 18—28.

In the land of two bridges, a rambunctious group of fun-loving anti-intellectuals (The Fre) spend their days cavorting in the mud. Into their midst descends Hero, a dandy aesthete, who longs to cut the bridge and finally escape the mud pit. But first he must convince the leader, Frankie Fre, and the other fatuous inhabitants that there is a better life outside of the swamp.

Part mud-riot, part rave, this queer, all-ages love story stages polarization inside a literal ball pit, pulling the audience into a world where freedom looks like chaos, conformity hides inside collective joy, and language dissolves into play. The result is both liberation and collapse — a muddy reminder that freedom can unite us, but it can just as easily devour us. Raucous, raunchy, and unexpectedly tender, The Fre explores freedom across class and tribal lines, reminding us that connection, play, and solidarity may be the only way out. Don't miss this wild and generous work from a contemporary genius of the American theater.

The cast features Myles Bell, Kiril Bolotnikov, Juleanne Millan as Franny Fre, Danni Blackman as Billy Fre, L.T. Schuster as (Honk) Shoe Fre, Arielle Powell as Taylor Mac, and Kendi Omalade as Young Taylor Mac.

“We live in a world of bubbles, with each person isolated in their own silo, algorithm, way of thinking and being,” said Director Mylo Cardona. “What would it take — and is it worth it — to step closer to those who feel, believe, move, play differently than you? How do we share this mud pit? In such an oppressive political climate, the possibility of actors being so Free (or Fre) on stage can inspire audiences to go out into the world to do the same as a form of resistance.”

OTP'S 2026 SEASON: THE LAND OF THE FREE

The Fre is the fourth production in Oakland Theater Project's 2026 Season: The Land of The Free, featuring a year of new productions that examine a foundational tenet of America. What does it mean to live in "the land of the free" at a time when democratic rights are shrinking and authoritarian power is rising? As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Oakland Theater Project's 2026 Season explores the tension between celebration and crisis.

“Freedom, once imagined as a birthright, now feels like a responsibility—and sometimes a loss,” said OTP Executive Artistic Director Michael Socrates Moran. “Inspired by Timothy Snyder's On Freedom, this season's productions examine who holds freedom in America, who is denied it, and what it takes to protect it.”

“In a year built for commemoration, we choose interrogation,” said Moran. “Freedom is not fixed. It must be practiced, challenged, and defended. We invite audiences to look honestly at where we stand— and to imagine what freedom could still become.”

TICKETS & PERFORMANCE INFORMATION