Starship Farragut Alumni Perform in Theatrical Production

During the span of March 6 – March 15, several Starship Farragut alumni performed in a play called, “Back of the Throat.”  Written by Yusef El Gundi, this production was performed by Dignity Players (http://www.uuca-md.org/dignity_players/index.html) at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, Maryland.  Mickey Handwerger (Caterer to Starship Farragut) directed the thought-provoking production while Mark Hildebrand (Producer and actor of Starship Farragut) gave a riveting performance as the lead Government official.  Becki Placella, who has already acted in a yet-to-be released, non-Starship Farragut production by Farragut Films, acted in a supporting role with Eric Lund (Associate Producer and actor of Starship Farragut) providing fight choreography work.  Also worth mentioning are Chris Haley’s performance (nephew of ROOTS author, Alex Haley), Pete Garvey’s terrorist portrayal and Alicia Sweeney’s role as the exotic dancer.
	Back of the Throat is the tale of a visit by two government officials (Mark Hildebrand and Dan Kavanaugh), which soon devolves into a full-blown, no-holds-barred probe. Khaled, an Arab-American writer (Chris Haley) and the focus of their inquiry, finds himself suddenly accused of possible ties to terrorists. As the interrogation proceeds, the officials reveal their evidence. But is it evidence, or have innocent events been distorted through the lens of paranoid suspicion? Back of the Throat confronts bureaucratic euphemisms like “person of interest” and “extraordinary rendition” with the frightening reality they aim to obscure.
After viewing the play, John Broughton, Executive Producer of the Starship Farragut Internet Series said, “Seeing Mark perform in this role was surreal.  Initially, I was watching my friend perform on stage - a second later; I’m watching this incredible character come to life with total buy-in and belief. I’m impressed with the amount of dialogue he had to learn for this role; most impressive.  Regarding the production itself, John added, “This fast-paced production captivates the audience with the premise of Patriot Act abuse in this post-9/11 era.  This compelling story demonstrates how perceptions can be wrongfully misinterpreted with people acting in the best interest of America and how their rights are trampled in pursuit of information.  The play’s conclusion leaves you wondering if the victim of having his rights stepped on was actually a victim of happenstance and part of a terrorist’s plot after all.”