BERGEN, a dark comedy set in the near future, is about a group of young Norwegian musicians who vow to find a brilliant name for their rock band by the end of the night. Their one criterion is that the name comments on the collapse of America. While they either loathe or pity America, they are all drawn to its idolized ideals. The night is full of drinking, music, betrayals, sexual tensions, and a shocking twist that threatens the band’s survival. BERGEN is a play about youthful ambitions, it’s about America, and it’s about creating art in the face of a world that seems to be falling apart.
REVIEW
StageMagazine.com Review roundup of Broadway Bound Theatre Festival 9/16/2018
A delightful slice-of-life ensemble dramedy that happens almost in real time. What’s great about Bergen is how the vitality of the characters spills off the stage into the audience. While characters swap stories and jokes and brainstorm band ideas the audience is occasionally transported momentarily into a “fantasy,” allowing a very theatrical sneak peek into one of them. Each character gets a chance at holding center, and each does so admirably. Fechter never allows the play to become a mouthpiece for America bashing, but still manages to critique the state of the union artistically.
Broadway Bound Theatre Festival, New York City, 2018 (upcoming)