Evelyn in Purgatory
by Topher Payne

Name: Evelyn in Purgatory
Brand: Topher Payne
SKU: 9780573705090
Rating: 4 (4 reviews)

Evelyn in Purgatory Book Cover — Evelyn in Purgatory Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins Present Day Role(s) for Asian Actor(s) Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

When a complaint is filed against one of the 70,000 teachers in New York’s public schools, they’re sent to a Reassignment Center, one of a series of empty offices in the Department of Education Building.

There, they sit and wait for their case to be reviewed.

Usually for months.

Sometimes for over a year.

A claim of improper behavior by a failing student lands Evelyn Reid in “the rubber room,” where she encounters a group of teachers, some guilty, some not, who have long since lost any hope of returning to a classroom.

Over the course of the school year, these colleagues form an unlikely alliance, reminding each other of forgotten passions, emerging to face life outside in unexpected new directions.

They also learn French and workshop a screenplay.

Press Reviews

"The Breakfast Club for teachers... an uncommonly smart and restrained commentary on the public education system."
— Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A remarkably well-constructed and very funny dramatic comedy… we’re kept constantly curious about each character."
— ArtsATL

"I love how these characters are introduced, how they change before our eyes (through an unlayering of truth and falsehood rather than through arbitrary plot contrivances.) I love how they surprise, how they make me laugh and move me, how they represent a broad spectrum of teachers and styles and ambitions. I loved every minute of Evelyn in Purgatory."
— Atlanta Theatre Buzz

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
CANDACE METZGER 30s. The person with the most power in the room, and the least qualifications for it. From New Jersey, tries to hide the accent but fails when she gets emotional.	female	30s	30s. The person with the most power in the room, and the least qualifications for it. From New Jersey, tries to hide the accent but fails when she gets emotional.
EVELYN REID 30s. Likeable and resourceful. A careful mix of guarded pleasantry- she has a stellar game face. New England native.	female	30s	30s. Likeable and resourceful. A careful mix of guarded pleasantry- she has a stellar game face. New England native.
LILA WADKINS 50s. Calm, maternal, thoughtful, witty. The voice of reason. The art teacher everyone wishes they had. Upstate New York native, some residual hippie around the edges.	—	50s	50s. Calm, maternal, thoughtful, witty. The voice of reason. The art teacher everyone wishes they had. Upstate New York native, some residual hippie around the edges.
TOBY FLEMING 20s. A bit of a geek. Quiet, passive-aggressive, perpetually uncertain. Brooklyn native.	—	20s	20s. A bit of a geek. Quiet, passive-aggressive, perpetually uncertain. Brooklyn native.
FRED DISALVO 50s. Bombastic, funny, a bit of a bully. A gym teacher from Hell's Kitchen, back when that still meant something.	—	50s	50s. Bombastic, funny, a bit of a bully. A gym teacher from Hell's Kitchen, back when that still meant something.
ROBERTA BURKE 60s. The self-appointed queen of all she surveys. Razor-sharp wit, no patience, and an uncanny ability to spot the weaknesses in those around her. Very Bronx.	female	60s	60s. The self-appointed queen of all she surveys. Razor-sharp wit, no patience, and an uncanny ability to spot the weaknesses in those around her. Very Bronx.
ATWOOD (unseen) - The head of the disciplinary panel. The invisible voice of absolute authority. Written as “Ms. Atwood,” but can be changed to “Mr. Atwood” to accommodate a gender swap.	—	—	(unseen) - The head of the disciplinary panel. The invisible voice of absolute authority. Written as “Ms. Atwood,” but can be changed to “Mr. Atwood” to accommodate a gender swap.