8 Random Numbers
by Evan Krachman
WHEN: Sunday, March 23, at 2:00 PM
WHERE: Arttank, 529 Bangs Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ.
ADMISSION: $7 suggested donation.
For more information, log onto www.blackboxnj.org.
During the Cold War, Russian spies infiltrated the United States and made many attempts, some successful, to steal top secret information from the U.S. government using any means necessary. When it’s East versus West in the pursuit of power and protection against the ultimate nuclear domination, anything goes. A U.S. Army general is tasked with coming up with the launch code for America’s nuclear missiles, while fending off Russian spies and a plot to hold the U.S. hostage for the eponymous eight random numbers.
“Inside the mind of a U.S. general and top Russian spy may not be something anyone but a playwright could imagine,” says playwright Krachman. “This story explores a time in our history that should keep you on the edge of your seat and laughing at the absurdity of the spy game in the 1960’s.”
The play is based on the true story of the U.S. general putting together a small task force to devise the unbreakable code. Combine a team of ruthless Russian spies, the power of hypnosis, torture, and a pinch of comedy, and you’ll enter the surreal world of 8 Random Numbers. The play drives toward the discovery of the title’s eight number password.
“When I heard this story break in the news, thanks to Edward Snowden, I was shocked. Without giving anything away, how could our government have had this protective password for such powerful destructive weapons?” Thus, the genesis of 8 Random Numbers, of East versus West and their equal pursuit for power and protection and the ultimate control over nuclear weapons, an exploration of the absurdities of the greatest intelligence minds of their generation.
“As a writer, Evan has a different view of the world,” says Alexis Kozak, who runs Black Box’s New Play Initiative. “He has a science-fiction bent, which can be a challenge in the theatre. But his plays are unique in that he uses science-fiction to point to the absurdity of life as we know it.”
Evan Krachman plays a key role in the marketing and product development for Sony’s Medical Division. In 2012, he received his first U.S. Patent with Sony for a method and apparatus for transporting medical images. He volunteers at Red Bank Regional High School with the Visual and Performing Arts Academy’s Creative Writers Program. He has created a unique mix of improvisational acting and writing workshops to help hone the students’ creative thought processes. Krachman lives in Shrewsbury with his wife and two of his best co-inventions, his daughter and son.
