The Trump Card

HARTBEAT ENSEMBLE in association with           EPIC THEATRE ENSEMBLE

PRESENTS

THE TRUMP CARD

AN EXAMINATION OF OUR CURRENT POLITICAL MOMENT AND A CALL FOR SELF-REFLECTION AMONG AMERICANS OF EVERY STRIPE.

Written by Mike Daisey

Adapted and performed by Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr.

Directed by Ron Russell

The Trump Card is an exploration of Trump's ascent to political power and our complicity in that ascent. Originally written and toured by Daisey during the 2016 election, the monologue examines how performance intersects with politics, and how the quality of that performance can shape millions of lives. In Simmons’ up-to-date adaptation, The Trump Card is neither comedic impersonation (but it's funny!) nor political diatribe (well maybe a little bit...) and is critical of Democrats, Republicans, and Progressives. It’s an examination of our current political moment and a call for self-reflection among Americans of every stripe. 

Learn what you need to vote on November 3 HERE!

The Trump Card is a streamed online event. It premieres on Friday, October 23 at 7:30 pm and will be made available on-demand until Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Godfrey L. Simmons Jr. (Artistic Director, HartBeat Ensemble) is an award-winning actor, producer, director, and playwright who has spent thirty years amplifying the voices of marginalized people and communities. He brings with him an extensive background working with ensembles, as an actor (Off-Broadway and regional theaters), teacher, director, playwright and producer. In 2012, he co-founded Civic Ensemble, a regional theatre in Ithaca, NY. He was a Producing Artist for Off-Broadway’s Epic Theatre Ensemble for four years, appearing in a dozen productions. He also co-wrote and starred with Brandt Adams in a documentary play about the election of President Barack Obama, Dispatches From (A)mended America after interviewing 100 Southerners about the election. He won the 1999 Audelco Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance opposite Leslie Uggams in The Old Settler at Primary Stages. He is a lifetime member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and sits on the board of the Network of Ensemble Theaters. 

RON RUSSELL (Director; Executive Director of Epic Theatre Ensemble) has co-founded four theatres that still produce today: the nationally-acclaimed Summer Theatre Enrichment Project at El Centro in Lorain, OH (1992); Swine Palace Productions in Louisiana, while receiving his MFA-Directing from the RSC’s Barry Kyle (1992-1994); UBI Rep Theatre in San Diego (1995); and Epic Theatre Ensemble (2001-present). With Epic, he has directed 19 award-winning Off-Broadway productions, including Premieres of Kate Fodor’s Hannah and Martin, Vern Thiessen’s Einstein’s Gift, Shakespeare’s Richard III, Born with Teeth, and Nilaja Sun’s Pike St., which he is currently touring across the nation and world, where it has won Helen Hayes and FringeFirst Awards. He has won an OBIE Award for Epic’s adaptation of Antigone and the International Ibsen Award for Pillars of Society. He has also designed sound for award-winning productions of Nilaja Sun’s No Child… (OBIE Award) and Judith Thompson’s Palace of The End. His teaching experience includes over 50 public schools, reaching over 18,000 youth, and his work as an educator in NYC has been recognized by citations from the Municipal Arts Society and Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg.