Financial Slavery: The College Debt Sentence (FringeNYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets

90%

(12 Reviews)

Positive

92%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Resonant, Relevant, Ambitious

About the Show

Part of FringeNYC: What would you sell for a college education? Follow Deric, Sandra and Emilia striving for the American Dream - from trading meal swipes for textbooks to sugardaddy.com. With tuition rising 428%, college students are drowning. Is our nation throwing us overboard?

Categories: Spoken Word/Poetry, FringeHIGH, Drama, Local. From Strength out of Shadows. Written by Alyea Pierce. Directed by Jennifer Little. Choreographed by Jennifer Little.

FROM THE ARTIST:
College students in America are drowning? With an average debt of $35,000 post bachelor degree, the question is -- is our country throwing our future overboard? "Financial Slavery" asks us, what are you willing to sacrifice for your higher education? Is $35,000 a manageable amount of money to owe when just starting life at 21?

Follow our students, as they share real stories from around the country; trading meal swipes for text book copies; contemplating sugar daddy.com as a tuition option; and hiding from debt collectors as their debt rises.

In this pivotal political time, when both the populace and the politicians are debating about how to fix an education system that leaves our young people $30,000 or more in debt; this piece's time is now. And the New York Fringe Festival's 20th Anniversay event recognizes that Today Is The Day!

This show utilizes live interaction with the audience through camera and media. In addition, there is a 40 minute post show workshop (including in the running time), during which the audience participates with the actors around the issue of student loan debt.

Member Reviews (12)

Agitprop, Must see, Thought-provoking, Resonant, Absorbing

See it if you are at all affected by student debt, want to hear the story from the mouths of those experiencing it, or know nothing about debt slavery

Don't see it if you are in the 1 to 3% of those having no problems paying for education or not concerned by possible debt crisis taking economy down again

Intelligent, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Original, Heartfelt

See it if enjoy relevant political and economic truth telling with heartfelt stories of debt slavery.

Don't see it if political theater that combines multimedia, acting, dance and extemporaneous speeches.

Critic Reviews (1)

July 11th, 2015

Heather Chamberlain

"Rarely do more straightforward, traditional forms of storytelling hit on such urgent issues with such acute honesty and unfettered personal insight as. The writer, Alyea Pierce, and the cast of vibrant young actors are the steel spinal cord of the show…Directors Jennifer Little and Michael Pinnix have managed to balance the story with an ample dose of statistics and facts, told to the audience directly by the players. At no time does the piece feel too fact-heavy or theatrically thin."
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