The United States v. Socrates

In the year 2033, Socrates, or a man who claims to be the famed philosopher, returns to life by way of a portal in the basement of a Chipotle restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland. With the U.S. run by a tyrannical government that uses intimidation over established laws, Socrates begins speaking about independent thought to a growing number of followers. However, he is eventually arrested and threatened with certain deportation, before two small-time lawyers make the risky decision to defend him in a televised trial in the hopes that his exposure will have a positive societal impact.

DANIEL DAMIANO (Playwright) is an Award-winning Playwright, Novelist, Pushcart-nominated Poet and Actor based in Brooklyn, NY. In 2024, he was the recipient of the David A. Einhorn Playwriting Prize, presented by Untitled Theatre Company No. 61. He is also the recipient of the Christopher Brian Wolk Award and was also a Finalist for the Arts & Letters Prize for Drama, the Woodward/Newman Drama Prize, and others. Notable productions of his plays include his acclaimed solo play, One With the Current (fandango 4 Art House), Harmony Park (Detroit Repertory Theatre), The Lepers (Ensemble Studio Theatre), The Dishonorable Discharge of Private Pitts (fandango 4 Art House), The Golden Year (The WorkShop Theater) and Day of the Dog (St. Louis Actors' Studio/59E59 Theatres). His play The Wild Boar was a Finalist for the 2022 Dayton Playhouse Futurefest, as well as the 2019 Woodward/Newman Drama Award and the 2019 Janet and Bruce Bunch Award. His three novels, The Woman in the Sun Hat (2021, Seattle Book Review Recommendation), Graphic Nature (2022) and Advice from a Cat (2024) have all been published by fandango 4 Art House. His play Day of the Dog is published by Broadway Play Publishing. He has also published two books of poetry, 104 Days of the Pandemic (2021, fandango 4 Art House) and The Concrete Jungle and the Surrounding Areas (2024, Bottlecap Press). His poetry has been published in numerous periodicals, including the MacGuffin, The Soliloquist Journal, Qutub Minar Review, Four Tulips, The Writing Disorder, Philly Chapbook Review, Gyroscope Review, Philly Poetry Chapbook Review, Curlew Quarterly, Quagmire Magazine, Crooked Teeth Literary Magazine, Newtown Literary Journal, Cloudbank, New Voices Anthology and HotMetal Press. www.danieldamiano.com

JUDY ALVAREZ (Judge) is an Actress, Comedienne and Painter. Notable credits include appearing as Madame Helene in Diffractions Theatre Company's production of The Workroom at One Art Space, as Nana in Season 1 of City of Mercy for SidewalkProphecy Films and as Mrs. Pitts in fandango 4 Art House's acclaimed production of Daniel Damiano's The Dishonorable Discharge of Private Pitts. She can also be seen in the mock-training web series "An Extreme Calling", for Horace Mann Insurance for Educators. She is proud of her most recent Voice-over work as Narrator for the acclaimed documentary It's A to Z: The Art of Arleen Schloss, which recently won Best Documentary at both the 2025 Fine Arts Film Festival in Venice, CA and the Solaris Film Festival in Helsinki. Judy is also a former Stand-up comedienne, having performed at just about every stand-up venue in NYC. She, along with Daniel Damiano, is Co-founder/Co-Artistic Director of fandango 4 Art House, an NYC-based theatre and arts company focusing on new work and creative expression.

JOHN BLAYLOCK (Jim Galvin) is no stranger to the plays of Daniel Damiano. He played The Husband in The Dessert Cart by Mr. Damiano, which won the 2024 David Einhorn Award, and was part of the ensemble in the original production of The Dishonorable Discharge of Private Pitts. Most recently, he created the role of Ludwig Cade in the Off B’way production of Honor by T.J. Elliott at the Gene Frankel Theater, produced by Knowledge Workings. Other roles include Fr. Tommy DiCamillo in Holy Child, Albrecht Muller in The Temple or Lebensraum, Robert in Proof and Teach in American Buffalo.

CHARLES E. GERBER (Socrates) is a more than 5 decade veteran of his profession. His credits include All Media: Broadway appearances, starring in National Tours, as well as innumerable stage venues in NYC. Numerous TV and Film offerings, most recently winning Best Actor, at this year's Burbank International Film Festival for the multiple award winning short:"A King's Curtain". YouTube/Charles E.Gerber2689

ERIC PERCIVAL (NICE Agent 2/Von Speer) is an award-winning actor and has performed on stages in NYC, London, and throughout the US and Europe. Film: The Lepers, Carol’s Last Chance. TV: Farm Story. Theatre: The Bliss Option (Chain Theatre), My Purple Wig (Lion, Theatre Row), Snowfall in Berlin (Nylon Fusion), Island (NY Shakespeare Exchange), Love, Sex, and Real Estate (ARTC) Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor - Planet Connections, Dorian Grey; Outstanding Lead Actor - MITF, Bubby's Shadow. Training: LAMDA, T. Schreiber Studio. www.ericpercival.com.

BROOKE TURNER (Liz Grenier) is an actor and comedienne; classically trained with an MFA and BFA in Theatre; and has performed Off-Broadway, on TV, and film. She is excited for this reading, having previously perfomed the titular role in Damiano's "The Dishonorable Discharge of Private Pitts." Her latest film, "Pamela" is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. www.Brookeqturner.com.

RIK WALKER (NICE Agent 1/Morgan) was an original member and tireless work-horse of FringeNYC, the largest multi-arts festival in North American for much of its 20 years. He is an active participant in the arts and culture of Northern Manhattan where he co-founded UP Theater Company. He has played on many regional stages, and a few in Europe; guest starred on a variety of TV series, and in a smattering of soap operas and indie films. www.rikwalter.com

KATHY GAIL MACGOWAN (Director) most recently directed the New York premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s play Emilie: La Marquise du Chatalet Defends Her Life Tonight at the Flea Theatre. She has collaborated with Mr. Damiano on many projects including full length productions of The Golden Year, and The Dishonorable Discharge of Private Pitts. She has directed hundreds of developmental readings for new work in N.Y. leading to the direction of 15 premieres. Kathy regularly guest directs at The Stella Adler Conservatory/NYU Tisch. Recently she was invited into the Playwrights/Directors Unit of The Actors Studio. She is a Drama League Directing Finalist, a member of SDC & AEA and holds a MFA from the New School for Drama. www.kathygailmacgowan.com

Event Venue

New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street, New York, United States

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