Operating Systems

The Story

At Code Breakers, black and brown high school girls learn software engineering. When Benita (Parquet) is promoted to CEO, she enlists the help of a journalist friend (Tanenbaum) to confront a controversy over rejecting a white student. Then Bel (McGuire), a new Code Breakers employee, accuses the outgoing CEO (Lenartz) of sexual misconduct. The fallout threatens the most vulnerable in their community, including Dani (Cihi), a trans employee and former student.

Operating Systems wrestles with how internalized oppression often makes us reinforce oppressive systems even as we work toward justice. In a tokenizing system that often positions oppressed peoples against each other, can the relationships at the heart of the play survive? Is it better to leverage the resources of these systems in service of justice, or to burn the whole thing down?

What’s a Living Ticket? This production continues our Living Ticket initiative, which makes Flux’s shows free for all to attend. Well, not exactly free: it costs a lot to create these productions, and we want to provide our team a living wage. So while you don’t have to pay anything, we encourage you to support Flux with a donation when you reserve your Living Ticket. To learn what it would take for us to pay a living wage, check out our Open Book program, which shares our production budget and suggests levels of giving.

TICKETS FOR OPERATING SYSTEMS ARE AVAILABLE HERE.

The Cast will feature Neo Cihi (Mr. Transman), John Lenartz (Inherit the Wind on Broadway), Morgan McGuire (The Sea Concerto), Lori Elizabeth Parquet (The Providence of Neighboring Bodies), and Isaiah Tanenbaum (AM I DEAD?).

The Creative Team includes: Scenic Design by Lauren Girouard, Lighting Design by Kia Rogers, Costume Design by Jason Tseng, Sound Design by Renée Yeong, Props Design by Alisha Spielmann. The Production Stage Manager is Jodi M. Witherell, the Production Manager is Jaclyn Biskup, the Associate Director is Dominique Rider, the Dramaturg is Salma Zohdi, the Production Consultant is Will Lowry, and the Assistant Lighting Designer  is Sienna Gonzalez.

The production is the recipient of a 2019 Dramatists Guild Writers Alliance Grant, chosen for work that “pushes boundaries and shows tremendous promise,” being produced by a theater company that “holds itself to superlative ethical standards in supporting the livelihoods and careers of writers.”

Operating Systems is also a recipient of the NYSCA-A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund (A Statewide Theatre Regrant Program), and subsidized studio space provided by the A.R.T./New York Creative Space Grant, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.