SHOW TRIAL By Laura Zlatos To Premiere At The Tank
Performances will begin on June 11.
Breakneck Productions in association with VagaMundo Productions and Haley Fragen will present Show Trial, beginning June 11th at The Tank in New York City. Written by Slovak-American playwright Laura Zlatos (Happily After Ever) and directed by Tom Costello (Associate Director of Broadway's American Buffalo), the searing political satire commemorates the 75th anniversary of the execution of Czech political dissident Milada Horáková.
Charged with high treason, Milada Horáková stands trial against the communist regime in one of the largest staged trials in Eastern Europe. An absurdist interpretation of the era's ruthless propaganda machine, Show Trial satirizes Stalinist sham trials using real court transcripts to expose the theatricality and brutality of totalitarian "justice."
The production stars acclaimed Slovak actress Natália Germáni (Její telo, Svetlonoc) as Milada. The ensemble cast also includes Justin Ahdoot*, Brian Bock, Alex J. Gould*, Lindsley Howard*, Liz Leimkuhler*, Alex Mandell*, Tom Mezger*, and Chet Siegel. Costume and Props Design are by Patricia Marjorie and Sound Design is by Klaxons Sound.
The play will preview with a special benefit performance on June 6 as part of the Rehearsal for Truth Festival, an annual showcase of Central and Eastern European theater. In support of the Václav Havel Center, the performance will be held at the Bohemian National Hall (tickets available here).
The official limited run follows at The Tank Theater on June 11 and 13-15. Tickets are available now through The Tank's website.
"Growing up with stories about how my family, like so many others in communist Czechoslovakia, suffered for refusing to conform to the regime, this play is deeply personal to me," says playwright Laura Zlatos. "Through satire and dark comedy, I hope to expose the hypocrisy and absurdity of authoritarian "justice" and shine a light on the enduring dangers of propaganda."
Director Tom Costello adds, "It's remarkable how many echoes there are between this play and the global political climate. We feel very fortunate to be making a piece of theater that speaks to the outsized fear that many people are experiencing and the price we pay if we want to do something about it."
Show Trial was developed with Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company in 2022 and at Divadlo Bez zábradlí, in collaboration with Prague Shakespeare Company, in Prague in 2023. It also became a 2024 Finalist for the Jane Chambers Award. The 2025 production is an Equity approved Showcase.
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