Mia Katigbak in Russian Troll Farm
RUSSIAN TROLL FARM
Special Obie Citation for Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production
"It's the fall of 2020 and everyone is trying to figure out how to keep theatre alive without gathering to do it. Then these artists show us that virtual theatre has already been the new frontier. A live, site-specific "workplace comedy" that we tune into on our laptops. A smart thriller about a real-life organization that uses social media to influence American opinion from the other side of the world. Betrayal and suspicion and the video to prove it. All woven together -- live, mind you-- to take us on a theatrical journey together while we quarantine wherever we are, alone. For their groundbreaking collaboration, the judges have awarded a Special Obie Citation to writer SARAH GANCHER and co-directors JARED MEZZOCCHI and ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON for RUSSIAN TROLL FARM."
*New York Times Best Theater of 2020*
"With no end to the pandemic in sight, theater-makers had to face the fact that repurposing existing stage works was not going to produce vibrant new ones for our changed world. Just in time, “Russian Troll Farm,” by Sarah Gancher, showed that digital-native productions could make the medium maximally expressive"
-- Jesse Green, The New York Times Best Theater of 2020
“Russian Troll Farm” paints a chilling portrait of chaotic nihilism that is simultaneously farcical and demoralizing for anybody who still believes in democracy.”
*Critic's Pick* "The content and form are also ideally matched in Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson’s beautifully realized production; this is digitally native theater, not just a play plopped into a Zoom box.”
--Jesse Green, The New York Times
"a fascinating exploration of craft: the addictive thrill of creation, the emotional punch of powerful storytelling, and the ease with which human minds are enthralled by narrative. "
-- ExeuntNYC
RUSSIAN TROLL FARM: A Workplace Comedy
World Premiere by Sarah Gancher
Directed by Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson
A site-specific production for the internet from TheaterWorks Hartford, TheatreSquared, and the Civilians
https://www.russiantrollfarm.com
*Extended again through January 14, 2021*
Multimedia design: Jared Mezzocchi
Costume Design/Set Consultation: Brenda Abbandandolo
Lighting Design: Amith Chandrashaker
Sound Design/Composition: Andre Pluess
Dramaturg: Elizabeth Williamson
Cast: Danielle Slavick, Ian Lassiter, Haskell King, Mia Katigbak, Greg Keller