Play examines brotherhood, estrangement and ideological divide

Luna Stage will host the world premiere of “RIFT or White Lies,” a play about the relationship between a progressive writer and his white supremacist brother.

Two brothers–one a progressive novelist, the other a convicted murderer and high-ranking member of a white supremacist prison gang–are united through their traumatic childhood.

Now adults, these men navigate the edges of their brotherly bond. Are they truly so different? Is it possible to love someone whose beliefs you hate? RIFT is a story of estrangement, ideological divide, and the fight to change one another.

A work of fiction, “RIFT or White Lies” is inspired by playwright Gabriel Jason Dean’s relationship with his brother, a currently-incarcerated high-level member of the alt-right.

The two had been estranged since Dean’s discovery of his brother’s affiliation in 2010. In creating the piece, Dean reconnected with his brother to explore the roots of their ideological differences and try to find common ground.

The show, directed by Ari Laura Kreith, will run from Feb. 8 to March 3. RIFT plays Fridays at 8 p.m, Saturdays at 3 p.m and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m., with a special midweek matinee on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $40 at lunastage.org/rift, with a limited number of $20 and $10 tickets available as part of Luna’s commitment to ensuring access for all.

The play is the live culmination of a two-part project commissioned by Luna. Part 1 was “#RIFT: A Play Over Text Message,” an eight-week interactive virtual experience blending text message conversations, audio files, and images, was delivered to subscribers’ cell phones across the country during the height of the pandemic.

The project was awarded grants from the Venturous Theatre Foundation’s Plays For Now program and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance STAGES Festival, and was featured as part of the National Day of Racial Healing.

This is Dean’s second in-person production at Luna Stage. His play “Heartland,” also directed by Kreith, explored familial estrangement across geographic and cultural boundaries, and was selected as one of NJArts Top 12 NJ Theater productions of 2019. For tickets and more info visit www.lunastage.org.

Dean’s plays have been produced Off-Broadway and regionally at places such as New York Theatre Workshop, Manhattan Theatre Club, 59E59, The Cherry Lane Theatre, The Flea, McCarter Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare, The Kennedy Center, Geva Theatre Center, Interact, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Dallas Children’s Theatre and People’s Light. He is the recipient of the Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University and the Dramatist’s Guild Fellowship, is currently writer-in-residence at Muhlenberg College.

Ari Laura Kreith is the artistic director of Luna Stage. A recipient of the League of Professional Theatre Women Lucille Lortel Visionary Award, Ari received her BA from Yale and her MFA from UC Davis. She grew up in 27 countries.

  Luna Stage, West Orange