Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World
Written and Directed by Fletcher Michael
Produced by Infinite Monkey Theatre Company
Presented by the New York City Fringe Festival
April 4, 2026
‘Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World’ is not your typical apocalypse story. If anything, it’s more accurate to how things might actually pan out than most of the media I’ve consumed in this genre recently.
Taking place in a boutique advertising agency in the not-so-distant future, three people are tasked with the impossible - try to spin a city-demolishing asteroid into something positive. If they can’t rise to the occasion, the entirety of Brooklyn will be wiped off the map without so much as a warning.
The play weaves in and out of each characters’ belief systems, with arguments ensuing about the best course of action. Each of them want something different, but none of them know how to handle what’s right in front of them. By using clever jingles, revealing phone calls and therapy sessions, we get a glimpse into each possible moral dilemma these people are facing. How can we justify knowing information that could save countless lives, yet we decide to keep it to ourselves out of self-preservation?
The idea of government censorship and complacence for the sake of material gain is not necessarily new. But it’s become increasingly intertwined with the apathy of my generation and the generations after me; and that’s exactly the fresh angle that this play brings forth. The humor is sharp, and the performances by all the actors are deeply grounded in the particular belief each of their characters represent.
When I left the theater, I thought a lot about what would actually happen if a situation like this were to occur. I’m not sure if it would pan out any differently than I saw on stage. I’m not sure what the solution is to that - but at least we’re starting to have the conversation. Whether we get shot into space as a result or not.
(You’ll have to watch the play to get that).
Review by Niranjani Reddi.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 19, 2026. All rights reserved.
