We opened Confidence (And The Speech) in NYC!
Critics call Confidence “boisterous, feverish, audacious, and utterly playful”, say that it “re-affirms our essential necessity to continue forward” and “possesses the potential to prompt a renewed interest in American history“.
Our Off-Broadway success was due to our phenomenal cast and crew, led by director Hannah Ryan. So, a big thank you to our entire Confidence team and especially to Visceral Entertainment and producer Anne Lambert at Charlotte’s Off-Broadway. If you saw our genre and gender-bending political play and loved it, you can donate to the play’s continuing journey on GoFundMe or Fractured Atlas. If you didn’t get to catch Confidence at Theatre Row, we’d be happy to send you the script!
Meet the Team:
Cast members left to right: Stephen Stout, Zach Fifer, Imran Sheik, Sarah Dacey Charles, April Armstrong, Abigail Ludrof, Ross Alden,Mark Coffin, and James Penca.
Assistant Director- Diane Phelan
Scenic Designer – Brittany Vasta
Costume Designer- Vanessa Leuck
Lighting Designer- Christine Watanabe
Sound Designer- Emma Wilk
Projection Designer- S. Katy Tucker
Props Designer- Deb Gaouette
Movement Director- Karla Puno Garcia
Synopsis
“Confidence (and The Speech) “It is nifty and important at the same time, which is to say it’s the absolute best kind of theater.” –Splashmag
On July 4, 1979 President Carter cancelled an important energy policy speech he was scheduled to give the next day and disappeared to Camp David. Ten days later, he emerged from his impromptu domestic summit and gave a new speech, the Crisis of Confidence speech, which became known as the “malaise” speech. The speech garnered overwhelmingly positive responses at first and many now view the speech as unprecedented, farsighted and insightful. Others think it may have ultimately cost him the White House.
Forty years later, college professor Cynthia Cooper is approached by a stranger, a young man, and asked to recall her time with the Carter Administration during the days before the now infamous Crisis of Confidence speech. If she is going to tell her story of that time – the story told from her perspective – she is going to play the President. And the young man who wants to know her story? Well, he is going to play her. This unique cross-gender play explores the confidence of a president, a nation in chaos and women in politics.
Development
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Charlotte’s Off-Broadway Workshop Production 2018
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Charlotte’s Off-Broadway 2nd Reading 2018
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Charlotte ‘Page to Stage’ Reading 2018
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Reviews
“Boisterous, feverish, audacious, and utterly playful” (Splashmag)
“Re-affirms our essential necessity to move forward” (Theater Pizzaz)
“Possesses the ability to prompt a renewed interest in American history” (Clyde Fitch Report)
“An immensely satisfying production” (The Unforgettable Line)
“The script is smart, imaginative, humorous at the right times” (Theater Scene)
Behind The Scenes
News
About the Speech:
On July 15 1979, President Jimmy Carter addressed a nation in crisis. Mystery surrounded his plans after he spent many days in Camp David with his advisors. His mission: to address the energy crisis, unemployment, inflation and perhaps the heart of the nation’s problems: confidence. What followed was an outpouring of positive feedback and a dose of introspection from a nation that had been down on its knees.
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Want to know about the relationship between the speech and the play? Read what playwright Susan Lambert Hatem wrote about the speech.
DONATE
If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation for Confidence (and The Speech), you can do so at our Fractured Atlas page. Every little bit helps us pay for incredible actors, designers, costumes and set. If you don’t care about a tax deduction, you can make a donation of any size at GoFundMe. We truly appreciate your help bringing this timely and important play to New York City.
Thanks to all of our Confidence builders, Charlotte’s Off-Broadway partners, and Fractured Atlas donors!
Contact Us
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For licensing or producer questions contact the134west@gmail.com
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