No real presidents were harmed in the making of this play

A A A Comments By Sarah Ferguson Tuesday, Aug 3 2004

photo: Hieronymous Bang

Crouching cowboy, hidden agenda

Details

'I'm Gonna Kill The President!'A Federal Offense
At 10 p.m., Tuesday through August 22, August 25 through August 28, and August 30 through September 4
Location: secret; go to south side of 10th Street between avenues A and B at least 30 minutes in advance and await instructions.
212.802.7446
$15, GOP delegates get in free with ID

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If you missed their sold-out run in DUMBO last year, here's a chance to catch the Imagination Liberation Front's guerrilla comedy about a pair of misguided revolutionaries' efforts to overthrow the U.S. government. But be forewarned: Attending may land you on a terror watch list. Or not, but then paranoia is part of the trip. The location is secret; you have to go to the rendezvous spot and await an "agent" to instruct you. And actors' names have been redacted from the program for "security" purposes. "In George Bush's environment of terror, this culture of fear, we thought we'd treat our audiences to a taste of what it could really be like if we don't get off our duffs and do something about it," explains ILF prankster Hieronymous Bang. Each night, they ask an audience member to volunteer their cell phone to crank-call the White House, so that everyone can shout, "I'm gonna kill the president!" The effect is cathartic, and kinda scary; it's a federal offense to threaten the president, which transforms this farce into an act of civil disobedience, if only in jest. "It's clear we're not advocating violence or assassination," says Bang, who notes the play lampoons the left as much as the right. Better hope that Secret Service guy next to you is laughing.

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