Annie Baker's epic relationship drama comes to D.C
Annie Baker's hit 2015 Off-Broadway play John follows the phenomenal success of her Pulitzer Prize-winning work, The Flick. Making its way to Washington D.C in 2018 for its city premiere, the epic drama will be helmed by Joe Calarco, taking over from original director Sam Gold. An examination into human relationships, John explores the dynamic between the establishment's cheerful elderly owner and two of its guests, a troubled young couple struggling to stay together.
wHAT IS JOHN ABOUT?
John is set in a Gettysburg Bed & Breakfast, and explores the dynamic between the establishment's cheerful owner and two of its guests, a troubled young couple struggling to stay together. Clocking in at over three hours, this epic play allows its characters to develop fully and naturally over time.
The four-hander shows the slow-boiling disintegration of a romantic relationship between Jewish Elias and Asian-American Jenny. Jenny has cheated on Elias in the past, with the mysterious unseen John, and Elias' anger over her infidelity turns to cold loathing, whilst they stay in Gettysburg on route from her parents in Ohio, to Brooklyn. Elias, an obsessive Civil War history buff has demanded that they take a detour to the battlefield; Jenny is less than interested, being a "stereotypical" girl. Throw into the mix the elderly Mertis, the kind and humble proprietor who witnesses their breakdown, determined not to lose her kindness and grace.
