Categories: Musical/Opera, FringeHIGH, Drama, National. From Salgado Productions. Written by Catherine Hurd, Composer: Vatrena King. Directed by Luis Salgado. Choreographed by Luis Salgado.

FROM THE ARTIST:
“Zuccotti Park” is a musical about the human side of economics. Set at its namesake location in New York City during the Occupy protests of late 2011, the play dramatizes the experiences of a broad cross section of Americans whose lives were impacted by the current economic system. In the play, two soldiers, Cooper and Washington, on leave from Afghanistan, visit New York City. Cooper is an Iowa farm boy and Washington, an African-American, New York City native. Cooper has arranged to meet up with Kate, his high school sweetheart, at Zuccotti Park. But unbeknownst to Cooper, the park is ground zero for the Occupy Movement. He finds Kate just as she is being pepper sprayed for assisting a friend during a police raid. Cooper challenges the police for what he sees as unnecessary force, is handcuffed for his efforts, and ends up in jail with the protesters. Despite their radically different worldviews, Cooper finds he is still attracted to grown-up Kate. After Cooper, Kate and the protesters are bailed out, Cooper accepts Kate’s invitation to spend time with her and her fellow protesters at Zuccotti Park. Throughout the play, Cooper and the audience learn the back-stories of the protesters: a homeless veteran, a family buying their first home, a student who can't find a job among others, as well as the opinions of people who profit from the system. The story comes to a head when the police raid the Occupy camp at Zuccotti Park and dismantle it.