Flat Earth Theatre presents THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION by Aaron Sorkin

WATERTOWN, MA - Brilliant minds go head to head in THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION by Emmy Award–winning playwright and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing and The Social Network. Upstart inventor Philo Farnsworth faces off against media mogul David Sarnoff in a nail-biting race to be the first to develop one of the twentieth century’s most influential inventions: television. Directed by 2015 IRNE Award winner and fringe powerhouse Sarah Gazdowicz, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION continues Flat Earth’s 2015 season “Progress and Peril,” stories of scientific progress and the lives it has ruined.

Philo Farnsworth, a child prodigy raised on a farm in rural Idaho, has overcome adversity to create the world’s first electronic television. Meanwhile, employing the top minds of a generation, self-made media mogul David Sarnoff seeks to uncover the secret to Farnsworth’s groundbreaking device through any means necessary. Driven by Sorkin’s signature brand of quick-witted storytelling, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION moves fluidly from spell-binding to heart-breaking in a kinetic spectacle that confronts how history is remembered.

THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION features a cast and design team made up of Flat Earth company members, long-time collaborators, and exciting newcomers. The design team includes Rebecca Lehrhoff (Set Design), Erica Desautels (Costume Design), Ian King (Lighting Design), Kyle Serino (Sound Design), and Lindsay Alaimo (Property Manager). The Producer is Lindsay Eagle, the Stage Manager is Amy Lehrmitt, and the Technical Director is Leigh Downes. The cast features Chris Larson as Philo Farnsworth, Michael Fisher as David Sarnoff, and an ensemble consisting of Matt Arnold, Katharine Daly, Robin Gabrielli, Andy Hicks, Justus Perry, Korinne T. Ritchey, Noah Simes, Sophie Sinclair, and Dale J. Young.

THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION will run for three weeks at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street in Watertown, MA. Tickets can be purchased at https://flatearth.ticketleap.com/farnsworth for $20 in advance, $25 at the door, or $10 student rush. The Farnsworth Invention is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.