Job (play)

Last updated

Job
Written byMax Wolf Friedlich
Directed byMichael Herwitz
Date premiered6 September 2023
Place premiered Soho Playhouse
New York City
Original languageEnglish
Subject mental illness, social media, content moderation
GenreDrama
Setting2020s New York City

Job is a play written by Max Wolf Friedlich. [1] [2] The original production started on September 6, 2023, at the Soho Playhouse in New York City. The play revolves around a young woman Jane (Sydney Lemmon) with her therapist Loyd (Peter Friedman). It was announced that the play would transfer to Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre from July 15 through September 29. [3]

Contents

Plot

A young woman Jane has recently taken a forced leave of absence from her work following a public mental breakdown. She can only return if she gets approved from a therapist. Throughout their session they explore her conflicts, themselves and the forces that bind them together.

Cast and characters

CharacterOff-Broadway
2023
Jane Sydney Lemmon
Loyd Peter Friedman

Production history

Off-Broadway (2023)

The play was developed by producer-dramaturg Hannah Getts and written by Max Wolf Friedlich. Originally written as part of IAMA Theatre Company's emerging writer's group, Job was the winner of the inaugural SoHo Playhouse Lighthouse Series. That production starred Alex O’Shea and Tim Barker. [4]

The play was directed by Michael Herwitz and starred Peter Friedman and Sydney Lemmon. Performances began starting on September 6, 2023, with an opening night on September 18, 2023. The play quickly sold out and extended its performances to mid October, 2023. [5]

A return engagement was put up at the Connelly Theater; performances began January 19th, 2024 and ran through March 23rd, 2024. [6] It was announced that the play would transfer to the smallest house on Broadway, the 600 seat Helen Hayes Theatre from July 15 through September 29.

Broadway (2024)

The production will transfer to Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theater with the same cast as the Off-Broadway run. Previews are expected to begin July 15, 2024 with an opening date scheduled for July 30th. [7]

Reception

Critical reviews

The production has received positive reviews from critics. It was labeled as a "Critics Pick" from The New York Times with Juan A. Ramirez describing it as "a tight, 80-minute play [which] is filled with so many ideas that it seems to expand beyond the walls of the tiny SoHo Playhouse...Friedlich’s clever updating of the generational-divide format is not undermined by the play’s thematic vastness." [8] Sara Holden of Vulture wrote, "Job is a horror piece — a Black Mirror episode with the sci-fi dialed down (because the horrors are real) and the punchy, cynical, HBO-ready dialogue dialed up. It's a slick, cleverly crafted drop-tower ride, and while you’re trapped inside, it succeeds at turning your stomach." [9]

David Finkle of The New York Stage Review praised the performances in particular Lemmons' writing, "[She] has far fewer credits than Friedman, but as a result of her performance here looks able to add numerous others pronto. Through the Job course, she’s asked to run the gamut of emotions from A to way beyond Z and often in long outbursts." [10] Sara Holden of Vulture praised Friedman writing, "Friedman is especially delightful to watch because he just seems so damn effortless... has a natural ease and appeal, a sense that he’s never pushing too hard"

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResultRef.
2024
 Outer Critics Circle Awards John Gassner Award for Best New Play Max Wolf Friedlich Nominated [11]

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References

  1. ↑ "When a therapy session becomes a hostage situation". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Review: Job Is a Millennial Vs. Boomer Death Match in the Form of a Therapy Session". TheaterMania. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "Two More 'Succession' Actors Are Broadway Bound, in 'Job'". The New York Times . Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  4. ↑ "Max Wolf Friedlich's JOB Will Have Extended Run at Off-Broadway's SoHo Playhouse". Playbill. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Job". Soho Playhouse. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  6. ↑ Wild, Stephi. "JOB Extends Three Weeks at the Connelly Theater". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ "'Job' Review: A Stress Test That Feels Like It's Life or Death". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "Job Pays Off and Clocks Out". Vulture. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "JOB: THERAPIST-PATIENT-IN-TROUBLE PLAY REQUIRES PATIENCE". New York Stage Review. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
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