Jobsite Presents East Coast Regional Premiere of OCCUPATION

Jobsite Theater is proud to offer the third regional premiere in a row this year, following Virginia Woolf's ORLANDO and Sharr White's Annapurna with Ken Ferrigni's scathing satire Occupation, which plays July 10 - Aug. 2, 2015, in the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center where Jobsite is resident theater company.

China is not messing around: It's time to go! The year is 2017. A crushing national debt, skyrocketing inflation, and crippling unemployment have frozen the United States' access to global credit. Against the backdrop of economic catastrophe, the US government finds an unexpected savior when China purchases Florida for $5 trillion. But there is a radical, violent insurgency holed up in the Everglades attempting to oust the Chinese proconsul and his army. How far will this militia go to keep the States united? This dark high-octane comic political allegory gets its eastern US regional premiere in Tampa.
"Idiocracy-meets-Red Dawn doesn't begin to cover the result: The exciting young playwright Ken Ferrigni blends redneck caricature with hip-hop anarchy and giddy pessimism to create a suicide vest of a satire." - New York Magazine
Originally produced Off-Broadway at TBG Theatre where it topped numerous "Best of 2013" lists, Occupation just saw a west coast premiere at LA's Sacred Fools. Jobsite is extremely proud to bring this play "home" for the first time. Jobsite has a long-standing history of producing political satires such as Tim Robbins' Embedded, Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist and We Wont! Pay! We Won't Pay!

Jobsite's production is directed by Artistic Associate Chris Holcom (The Odd Couple, Night of the Living Dead) with lighting and set designs by Kaylin Gess, costumes by Katrina Stevenson, and video and sound designs by David M. Jenkins. The cast features Emily Belvo (Mei Mei), Katie Castonguay (Kell), J. Elijah Cho (Deng), Carlos Garcia (Florian), Nathan Jokela (Gare) and Marlene Peralta (Bets).

Ken Ferrigni (playwright) is the resident playwright at Project: Theater. New York plays include Mangella ("A virtual, LOL hoot" NY Post) and ANGEL/BUDDY (Backstage Magazine Critic's Pick, New York International Fringe Festival). His one-act play Swing State was evaluated at the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. He has written for taxdeductible theatre's "Dare Project" and writes and performs regularly at Project: Theater's actor/writer's collective, Our Bar. Additionally, he has written several plays for young audiences at the Dynamo Light Opera Company in California.

Occupation officially opens to the general public on July 10 and runs through Aug. 2, 2015. All tickets to public performances are $28. Rush tickets for students, seniors, military and Theatre Tampa Bay members are $14 and are available as of 30 minutes prior to curtain with cash and valid ID at the Straz Ticket Office window. Rush tickets are subject to availability. Special preview performances will be held on July 8-9 at 8p with all tickets available in advance for $14.

OPENING NIGHT EVENT: Be a part of the excitement! All opening night guests get a complimentary goody bag and are encouraged to commemorate the night with a picture in our photo booth. After the show join the cast, crew, and VIPs at Seminole Height's Fodder and Shine (5910 N. Florida Ave 33604) for amazing food and drink in a casual and fun setting! The party includes an hors d'ouevres buffet and a drink ticket good for a house cocktail, draft, or glass of wine. A cash bar and an "In-Between" menu is available for those who wish to keep the party going. Opening night parties are attended by production cast and crew and invited guests, opening night season ticket holders, corporate partners, and Jobsite Rock Stars. A limited number of tickets to the general public are available on a first-come basis for a $25 per person donation to the company. For more information or to RSVP: tickets@jobsitetheater.org.
Jobsite is funded in part by The State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, The Arts Council of Hillsborough County, The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, The Gobioff Foundation, Creative Loafing, and Illumination Advertising. Jobsite is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization and all gifts made to Jobsite are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

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