Written by: Jennie Campbell
Directed by: Christopher Busch
Theater Company: Kinetic Performance Group

In a time when we are bombarded by news of violence and uprising, and seemingly paralyzed by our tumultuous political climate, we feel a responsibility to explore the sudden impact of any potentially disastrous moment. What do you do when an emergency alarm appears on your phone? "Shelter In Place," written by Jennie Campbell and directed by Christopher Busch, explores a fictional moment when five people, working in an office, suddenly receive an emergency alert comes over the loudspeaker. Theater for the New City’s Dream Up Festival will present the play’s world premiere August 25 to September 14.

The setting is a small, simple conference room near Columbus Circle. The piece was inspired by a recent bomb scare at the Time Warner Center in New York City, when the NYPD issued the directive “shelter in place” to people in the surrounding area. In the play, an announcement comes over the loudspeaker and the image of a text message is projected saying that residents of 58th Street need to shelter in place immediately. At that point, everybody panics. The play explores their journey through fright, denial, problem-solving, blaming, intellectualizing and all the other reactions to natural shocks that flesh is heir to.

 

Jennie Campbell is a Canadian-American, NYC-based theater artist. She holds degrees from Carleton University (Journalism and Film Studies), The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (Acting) and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Performance Practice as Research). As an actor, she has appeared in "The Comedy of Errors" (Bergen Shakespeare), "Tabula Rasa" (Dixon Place), and "Sound Sculpture Harmony" by Ran Xia. During her graduate studies, she developed her own performance practice, Stranger Bonds, which was featured in the 2017 Brink Festival in London. Her passion is works of social impact that offer a deep understanding of community and environment. Director Christopher Busch began as a child actor at Northeast Stage in Long Island. He earned an undergraduate degree at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU. He has appeared as an actor in "Love’s Labours Lost," "Julius Caesar" (Northeast Stage), "Romeo and Juliet" (NYU), and "The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever" and has worked as an Assistant Director and Music Director for various projects at Theater for the New City. He also works directly with high profile artists as a Backstage Attendant at Carnegie Hall and has worked for The American Airlines Theater and Broadway.com.

Director Christopher Busch began as a child actor at Northeast Stage in Long Island. He earned an undergraduate degree at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU. He has appeared as an actor in "Love’s Labours Lost," "Julius Caesar" (Northeast Stage), "Romeo and Juliet" (NYU), and "The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever" and has worked as an Assistant Director and Music Director for various projects at Theater for the New City. He also works directly with high profile artists as a Backstage Attendant at Carnegie Hall and has worked for The American Airlines Theater and Broadway.com.