"Spin" Sets Britney Spears Fans Into Paroxysms of, Like, Total Upsettedness

Laugh, oh laugh, I truly thought I’d die. Are fans of Britney Spears -- both of them, I mean -- really complaining about Gina Gionfriddo’s contribution to Spin, presented by The Stage Farm, at the Cherry Lane Theatre? I mean, like, you know, like, are Britney Spears fans really up on, like, you know, um, what’s hot in the Off-, like, you know, Broadway universe?

Gionfriddo’s play is called “America’s Got Tragedy.” In it (and here I quote the press release), Britney is “on the set of a reality TV show in which she competes against a dead American soldier who was recently killed in Iraq. The winner must prove their story is most tragic.” Sorry, LiLo, you're the weakest link. Goodbye.

Oh, the heck with it -- here’s most of the press release. In fact, as a bonus, I'll end this post with Seth Green’s tribute to the greatest Britney Spears fan of them all. Enjoy!

(Oh, and by the way, don't you think starting off the press release with the phrase “Due to Britney flap” suggests all kinds of images?)

DUE TO BRITNEY FLAP
the stageFARM OFFERS FREE TICKETS
TO HIT PRODUCTION OF “SPIN”
FOR SPEARS’ FANS

COMMISSIONED SHORT PLAY BY
GINA GIONFRIDDO DRAWS IRE OF BRITNEY FANS

Due to a recent controversy that has erupted over one of the plays in the production of SPIN, currently on stage at the Cherry Lane Theatre, the stageFARM has announced that it will offer a limited number of free tickets to performances of the show to Britney Spears fans who will be in the New York area next week (through November 8). The playwright, Gina Gionfriddo, will also participate in a post-performance talkback on Wednesday, November 5.

One of the works in this new series of commissioned short plays, “America’s Got Tragedy” by Ms. Gionfriddo, depicts the pop princess in a fantasy setting: on the set of a reality TV show in which she competes against a dead American soldier who was recently killed in Iraq. The winner must prove their story is most tragic. Dreama Walker (“Gossip Girls”) portrays Ms. Spears on stage.

In emails to the stageFARM office, Spears’ fans have objected to the supposedly negative and inaccurate portrayal of their favorite female idol, according to the company’s Executive Director, Carrie Shaltz. Ms. Gionfriddo counters that “I'm a huge Britney fan. I wrote the play to comment on the dwindling news coverage of the war and the way in which -- I think -- Britney was demonized and exploited by a media that should have paid more attention to the troops. I would love to have a dialogue with fellow fans about my play. Their response is interesting to me because my play has won so many Britney converts during the run. My hope is that it functions as a humanizing corrective to Britney-bashing rather than a jump on the ugly bandwagon.” Hence, in the spirit of understanding and reconciliation, the offer of freebies.

Britney fans, to reserve your complimentary tickets for a performance of SPIN on November 3-8 at 8:00 pm, please email Carrie Shaltz at carrie@thestagefarm.org.

SPIN continues its limited engagement through Saturday evening, November 8, at The Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street).

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