The Annotated History of the American Muskrat

By John Kuntz
Directed and Co-created by Skylar Fox
Circuit Theatre and Nightdrive, New Ohio and the Boston Center for the Arts, 2014-2016

Set Design: Adam Wyron
Costume Design: Corina Chase
Lighting Design: Christopher Annas-Lee
Sound Design: Skylar Fox
Stage Manager: Lida Richardson

Performed by Jared Bellot, Simon Henriques, Edan Laniado, Christopher Fitzgerald, Anna Nemetz, Allison Smith, Alexis Scheer, Justin Phillips, Sam Bell-Gurwitz, Molly Jones, Maddy Boles, Linda Bard, Fletcher Bell, & Ada Dolan-Zalaznik

Eight actors are part of an experiment. Or maybe they're eight ordinary people who think they're actors. Or maybe they were actors and acted so hard they became something else entirely. All they know is that they're in America, and they have to give a presentation about muskrats if they ever want to sleep. Unless they're sleeping right now. The Annotated History of the American Muskrat is a wild collage of absurd comedy, melodrama, dancing, historical fiction, and live music videos, exploring how we build a national identity out of stories—and how those stories can become more powerful than the people who tell them.

“Nothing is predictable in this epic adventure… While Kuntz has written the free-wheeling script, director Skylar Fox masters the flow. Fox, supported by Adam Wyron’s scenic design and Christopher Annas-Lee’s evocative lighting, really makes this script sing, moving simple set pieces around to create dozens of little worlds, staging appearances by the cast members in all sorts of unexpected places and using lighting to focus attention in specific spots. But most of all, Fox deserves credit for guiding his cast through some very impressive paces. Every member of the company — Sam Bell-Gurwitz, Jared Bellot, Simon Henriques, Edan Laniado, Anna Nemetz, Justin Phillips, Alexis Scheer, and Allison Smith — deliver full-on, high-energy performances. Fox’s staging is fast-paced without ever feeling rushed, and he is remarkably creative with a spare stage. He is definitely a director to keep an eye on.”
—The Boston Globe

“A vibrant, electric production…delivers poignant messages with a gut-punching, in-your-face attitude.”
—New York Theatre Guide

"As disturbing as it is visually poetic."
–The New York Times

"With The Annotated History of the American Muskrat, Circuit Theatre maintains their cred. The spirit of the future is theirs to develop."
–Theatre Pizzazz