Working It Out

Three pieces on the theme of work, performed back-to-back in one event.
All plays directed by Jason Loewith
Mar 3–28, 2010

Three of America’s sharpest playwrights, including West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin and Mad Men staff writer Rick Cleveland, tackle the workplace in three wildly different ways.

Jerry and Tom by Rick Cleveland
A couple of regular guys try to juggle family life, principles, and their jobs as hit men. Experienced assassin Tom shows Jerry the ropes, teaching moderation and the proper methods of murder. But Jerry won’t be bound by secrecy and tact, and his hot-blooded behavior threatens to trigger grave consequences. From routine executions in restaurants and seedy hotel rooms to troubles with the wife and kids, offset by gallows humor, Jerry and Tom is both thrilling and poignant—an engaging peek at an elusive (and not-so-glamorous) profession.

Washed Up on the Potomac by Lynn Rosen
Three freelance proofreaders pitch diverting banter among cubicles while questioning future prospects and rehashing dearly held but fast-withering aspirations (to become a novelist, to kick-start a comedy act, to enter law school). All the while, the trio is haunted by the memory of a former coworker, a young woman who simply vanished without a trace, without having left a mark on the world. When forced to choose between becoming full-time employees and losing their jobs entirely, the copyeditors must either cling to stifling safety—cracking jokes and squabbling over desks—or dare to venture into the uncertainty of chasing their dreams.

Hidden in this Picture by Aaron Sorkin
It’s the epic closing shot of director Robert’s first movie. Everyone is watching, the cameras are rolling at a thousand dollars a foot, 694 extras are on the move, there won’t be another chance to catch this sunset moment…and three cows wander into the picture, shattering the illusion of a Marine base in Guam. Propelled by Sorkin’s signature sleek, fast-flung dialogue and acerbic humor, Hidden in this Picture pokes fun at the commercial scramble of movie-making while critically questioning artistic integrity, prompting a healthily humorous perspective about our own work.

 

Parental Guidelines: Working It Out ties three very different plays together with one underlying theme: the workplace. The evening will likely be most enjoyable for adults and mature teens—the working world of hired killers comes off as funny, but not tame, and some of the professional references might be outside the experience of the younger set.

For more bits, pieces, and random facts on Working It Out and its three plays, check out our dramaturgy blog.

Cast

Jerry and Tom

Washed Up on the Potomac

Hidden in This Picture

Laura Smith*
Stage Manager

*Member of Actors' Equity Association

Artistic Team