About the Play:

Heresy is a full-length comedy by A.R. Gurney. In a parade of government imprisonment, immaculate conception, religion, politics, cocktails and one articulate working girl, Heresy views the not-so-distant-future through the satiric and hilarious lens of A.R. Gurney.

Heresy is set in a terrifying near future, but tells an age-old story. It centers on a couple named Mary and Joseph who come to a Government Building because their protesting son, Chris, has been taken into "protective custody" during the latest crackdown by Homeland Security. It seems the lad’s public statements are having a destabilizing effect on the church and society at large, and the powers that be are getting nervous. They appear before local Homeland Security officer Pontius Pilate to plead their case for the release of their son and comedy ensues. Shall we have another cocktail or release the man who we will kill or follow to a new beginning? Heresy: men have died for less. A.R. Gurney’s wit is sharp and imagination on overdrive, as he takes on the American Dream and reboots one of the world’s greatest stories into 21st century America. And he’s mixed in a strong dash of truth to spice up the tonic of laughter.

Heresy premiered in 2012 at The Flea Theater off-off-Broadway in the TriBeCa section of New York City. Since then the play has been produced at professional theatres across the US and has been mounted by college theatres.

Cast: 3 female, 4 male

What people say:

"Heresy hits the funny bone." — New York Daily News

"The arguments made are compelling — as well as highly critical of the status quo. And Gurney includes just enough humor to make this information easily digestible while not diluting its bite." — TheaterMania.com

"Certainly there is plenty about twenty-first-century American culture and politics to lampoon…A.R. Gurney has taken aim with a modern-day parody of the biblical story of Jesus Christ…[a] clever new satire…sharp comedy." — Huffington Post

"…clever dialogue, well-articulated ideas and an abundance of jokes." — Stage and Cinema

About the Playwright:

A.R. Gurney (1930-2017) is known as one of the most prolific and produced playwrights in America. His work focuses primarily on the issues and realities of middle-class American life and has been produced on international theatre stages for more than 50 years. He is also the author of three novels and a two-time Pulitzer Prize for Drama nominee, the recipient of the Drama Desk Award, and the Award of Merit from the Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.