Commieland

Josef Stalin lives! The ruthless Soviet dictator is back from the dead. At his side, Lenin, Trotsky, Rasputin, even the doomed Czar Nicholas. What is it they want? To sing. To dance. To delight the visitors to Commieland, the popular but aging amusement park in rural Pennsylvania. “Escape from the Gulag.” “Battle of Stalingrad Laser Tag.” “KGB Interrogation Centre and Gift Shop.” “The Collective Petting Farm.” And of course “The Commieland Musical-Historical Revue,” performed three times daily. But times are tough. Attendance is down. In this first decade of the 21st century, many Americans are not quite sure what Communism is. Or was. Or why they should care, anyway. When the corporate owners arrive to shut down the park, the actors playing the infamous Commie characters have only one chance to save the park and their jobs. Revolution! "Communism—the musical! The Russian Revolution was never like this—or was it? Po-Mo satirical slapstick with a heart. Read it and weep—or read it and laugh, according to whether you feel or think. One thing is sure: with Commieland, John Strand has created a comi-tragic tour de force!" —Thomas E. Kennedy, author of The Copenhagen Quartet