As the auto-industry changes in Detroit, four auto-factory coworkers have formed an unbreakable bond in the break room. But as rumors of the factory’s closure and the recession loom, tensions rise, and alliances are questioned. With a powerful cast and sharp writing, this play takes a deep dive into the complexities of factory work in America. Don’t miss this intimate exploration of the lives of four workers as they struggle to survive in an economy that seems to have left them behind.
DETAILS:
Runtime: 2 hours, 1 intermission
- Content: Recommended for ages 12+
- Location: Studio Two, Riffe Center
- Tickets: $48
Talkbacks: March 7 & 14
A 2022 New York Times Critic’s Pick
THIS SHOW IS FOR YOU IF…
If you loved seeing workplace drama brought to life on The Contemporary stage with 9 To 5 The Musical last season, give a different type of work a try with Skeleton Crew!
- If you love a peek inside the work environment, the relationships that develop, the challenges that are faced, and the strength of found family (like in shows such as Abbot Elementary, Ted Lasso, A League of Their Own, and Superstore) then Skeleton Crew is for you!
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I feel so deeply connected to this play because my grandparents spent years working in a factory on an assembly line together. Their work on those lines not only afforded me the opportunity to go to college, but it also gave them the opportunity to retire. The American Dream.
I attended OSU during the start of the first Great Recession. I made friends with students whose families were just beginning to feel the effects of the weakening economy. Little did we know as we collected our diplomas how our American dream would be compromised. We watched as the automotive industry (and several other industries) collapsed around us, limiting employment, displacing folx, and gutting communities throughout the Midwest.
What we didn’t have capacity to discuss then were the ways in which the dreams of those laid off employees were also displaced. Dominique Morisseau so poignantly reminds us in Skeleton Crew that companies are not people. Companies don’t have capacity for empathy and love. Companies don’t know your dreams and often don’t even know your son’s name. But those companies hire people, and those people have power.
My grandparents built a community within the factory they worked. To this day they have a set of lifelong friends that they call family. “It’s the only way we survived,” they’ve often said. So, as we navigate capitalism, how do we hold on to our shared humanity and dreams? How do we hold onto and respect one another while navigating systems that are not humane? My grandparents’ answer: “people.”
Raymond O. Caldwell
MEET THE CAST
Alan Tyson
Clarissa Rai
Rico Parker
Wilma Hatton
Reggie
Alan Tyson
Alan Tyson [he/him] (REGGIE) is thrilled to share this wonderful stage with this beautiful cast and crew. He wants to thank his loving God, because without Him none of this would be possible, his amazing friends, and his loving and supportive family. His most recent acting credits include Charity/Business Man in A Christmas Carol with Short North Stage & CAPA, Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun with Actors Theatre of Columbus, Eddie in …but you could’ve held my hand by Jucoby Johnson with The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio, Gary (Cover) in Slave Play with Short North Stage, Frank Thorney in Witch by Jen Silverman with Available Light Theatre Company and King in August Wilson’s King Hedley II with Actors Theatre of Columbus. He is so grateful to The Contemporary for allowing him to be able to create in this beautiful world and he thanks all involved for this opportunity. Remember to live your life, love yourself and others, and laugh like no one is watching – one day at a time!
All socials: @AlanELTyson / Website: www.Alan-Tyson.com
Shanita
Clarissa Rai
Clarissa Rai [she/her] (SHANITA) Tantrum Theater: Hotel Berry (Ada Woodson). Vibrancy Theater: Yerma (Girl 2/ Yerma u/s perf.), Absentia (Diana). Ohio University Theater: Medea (Medea), Everybody (Usher/God/Understanding). The Black Theatrical Ensemble: A Raisin in the Sun (Beneatha). Clarissa is a 3rd Year MFA in the Professional Actor’s Training Program at Ohio University. She’s excited for her debut at The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio.
Dez
Rico Parker
Rico Romalus Parker [he/him] (DEZ) is excited to return to The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio stage! Proud member of Actor’s Equity, he was born and raised in Dayton, OH. Favorite theatre credits include Reindeer Sessions, Barbecue, TopDog/Underdog, Belleville, Colossal, The Brothers Size, Gem of the Ocean, Blue Orange, King Hedley II, A Raisin in the Sun, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Stagger Lee, Every Tongue Confess, Passing Strange, and The Exonerated. He will be making his film debut as Evan in HBO Max’s Turtles All the Way Down.
Faye
Wilma Hatton
Wilma Hatton [she/her] (FAYE) has been part of the Columbus theatre community for over twenty-five years. She has performed in productions such as Company and Curtains! with Gallery Players, Hairspray with Weathervane Playhouse, How We Got On as well as several productions with Available Light Theater, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom with Short North Stage. She was seen in School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play with The Contemporary Theater of Ohio, and King Hedley II with Actors’ Theatre of Columbus. She was also seen in Julie Whitney Scott’s Snowville Cafe. Wilma has done several commercials, short films, and stage readings. She is more than delighted to be performing as Faye in this production of Skeleton Crew. Thank you to God, my family, coworkers, and everyone for their support!!
SEASON SUPPORT
PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Larry & Donna James
