In Fall 2015, members of Life Jacket Theatre Company travelled to southern Florida to interview the residents of Miracle Village, a rural community for sex offenders buried deep in abandoned sugarcane fields. The team has transformed their research into a moving and unflinching play about darkness, uncertainty, and the painful process of healing in small-town America. America is Hard to See uses a fusion of verbatim interviews and found text crafted by Travis Russ, award-winning playwright and director, as well as traditional Methodist hymns and original songs composed and arranged by Priscilla Holbrook, lead singer of the band Susan Jane.

America is Hard to See is produced by Life Jacket Theatre Company, whose recent production of Gorey: The Secret Lives of Edward Gorey (HERE, 2016), was a Critics’ Pick by the New York Times and Time Out New York (★★★★) and a nominee for a Drama Desk Award and seven New York Innovative Theatre Awards.

Playwright, Director, & Scenic Designer: Travis Russ
Music & Lyrics: Priscilla Holbrook
Research & Development Team: Travis Russ, Anthony Dvarskas, Amelia Parenteau
Lighting Designer: Solomon Weisbard
Costume Designer: Andrea Hood
Production Stage Manager: Kristina Vnook
Cast: Joyce Cohen, Amy Gaither Hayes, Gareth Tidball, John Carlin, Ken Barnett, and David Spadora