About the Show

In a not-so-distant Beckettian future, years after The Big War, a tiny kingdom wrestles with the problems of running a nation, sparring with the concepts of what makes a citizen, a country, and a civilization.

From the show:

TERRA FIRMA is set in a not-so-distant Beckettian future–years after a conflict known as the Big War, in which a tiny kingdom wrestles with the problems of running a nation–and opposing notions of what makes a citizen, a country, and a civilization. The play is inspired by a real-life event and its aftermath: In 1960’s Britain, a retired WWII army major claimed an abandoned aircraft platform in international waters off the coast of Essex as his own sovereign nation, planted his flag, and coined a motto, E Mare Libertas! (From the Sea, Freedom!). TERRA FIRMA was originally a commission for the Royal Court Theatre, the premiere venue for new writing in the UK. This production is co-presented with Baruch Performing Arts Center.

Critic Reviews (6)

"In ‘Terra Firma,’ a Wee Wet Country on the Brink: This inaugural offering from the Coop squeezes whimsy, character comedy and ecological allegory into one crowded play."
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"The inaugural production of the COOP, of which Nichols is the artistic director, 'Terra Firma' achieves only some of the many things it wants to."
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"'Terra Firma' Imagines a Tiny Country Surviving the Rising Waters: Barbara Hammond's world-premiere play marks the dawning of the Coop, a new off-Broadway theater company."
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"Barbara Hammond's 'TERRA FIRMA' Takes It's Cue From A Quirky Bit of International Politics"
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2/5 Stars "'Sally Hammond's Comedy(?) Not on Firm Ground': The Coop's introductory production lacks substance, wastes the marvelous Andrus Nichols"
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"'Terra Firma' is Off-Broadway theater par excellence. A solid, well-written, well-acted theatrical piece that leaves you pleased, laughing and thinking about what you saw long after you've left the theater. The Coop's first shot across the bow is an absolute delight."
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Cast and creative team