Directed by Obie Award winner David Drake, the cast included J. Stephen Brantley, Todd Flaherty, Joe MacDougall, Christopher MacDow, Joseph Mahan and Aaron Tone.
The play, according to press notes, is a "sexy and powerful new play about how drugs, politics, HIV and the Internet have dramatically changed the sexual and emotional landscape for gay men in America over the past 25 years. Heightening the theatrical nature of the play, Slap&Tickle employs six actors to portray a total of 20 recurring characters whose lives all intersect in surprising, humorous and revealing ways."
All facets of the production are captured in the upcoming documentary, from the "cast members’ excited arrival in P’town on the ferries; to David Drake’s spellbinding exposition revealing his interpretive vision and motivations for undertaking the project; to the barking on Commercial Street to attract audiences; to the final sold-out closing night performance with its final toasts and farewells."
In addition to the hours spent in rehearsals and performances, Butera conducted interviews with the playwright, director and cast members comparing the characters’ onstage stories to true-to-life experiences. The filmmaker also interviewed prominent literary and theatrical figures who attended performances, including a prominent blogger, the former head of a national gay-rights advocacy group, and an award-winning film director who recently directed Drake in an acting role.
"LIGHTS UP! Slap & Tickle: A New American Play in Provincetown," according to press notes, emerges from the raw footage as a "chronicle of mounting an artistically ambitious play against a historical backdrop of rich theatrical and gay culture; and ultimately demonstrates that life does indeed imitate art." Upon completion, the documentary will be screened at film festivals throughout 2011.