The newest play by Rob Ackerman, CALL ME WALDO takes a comic and insightful look at the workplace, upending stereotypes about the working class when an ordinary electrician begins channeling the spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Mr. Ackerman's earlier comedy TABLETOP -- also set in the workplace, behind the scenes at the making a television commercial -- enjoyed much critical success when Working Theater debuted the play Off-Broadway in 2000.
Now in its 27th season, Working Theater is New York's only professional Off-Broadway theatre company dedicated to producing plays for and about the working men and women of New York. Past productions include Lisa Ramirez's play about nannies, EXIT CUCKOO directed by Colman Domingo; Roberto Aguirre Sacasa's KING OF SHADOWS; PORT AUTHORITY THROW DOWN; HOLD PLEASE; ABUNDANCE; RECONSTRUCTION; WAITER, WAITER; Israel Horovitz's HENRY LUMPER and many others. CALL ME WALDO is the third play by Rob Ackerman to debut at Working Theater following TABLETOP and DISCONNECT. Last season Working Theatre presented the acclaimed premiere of Stephanie Zadravec's Honey Brown EYES. Mark Plesent is Working Theater's Producing Artistic Director.
In addition to TABLETOP, Mr. Ackerman is the author of ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES (later a film starring Amanda Peet), DISCONNECT (presented in 2005 by Working Theatre), LOONS (EST) and VOLLEYGIRLS. He has been Prop Master for NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE for many years, working on numerous commercial parodies such as "Schmitt's Gay Beer," "Mom Jeans," "Chewable Pampers" and "Red Flag Perfume."
Set & lighting design is by David L. Arsenault; sound design is by Don Tindall; costume design is by Hannah Kochman.
Other highlights of the Working Theater season include a night of poetry reading featuring the work of 2011 U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning working class poet Philip Levine with guest readers including Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jeffrey Eugenides.
For tickets or more information, visit www.theworkingtheater.org.
CALL ME WALDO runs through March 11.
Photo Credit: Lia Chang
