Public Servant - 2019

The right corner of the image, has the new TBTB logo. Down the center there's a man wearing a suit, sitting in a large neck tie, pulling his hair and beneath, it reads Public Servant. A play by Bekah Brunstetter and Directed by Geordie Broadwater.

Theater Breaking Through Barriers (TBTB), kicked off their 40th Anniversary season with the World Premiere of PUBLIC SERVANT (commissioned by and written for TBTB), a play by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s Emmy-winning drama This Is Us and the just announced Oklahoma TV series). Directed by Geordie Broadwater, the production starred Chris Henry Coffey (Broadway’s Bronx Bombers, David Schwimmer’s Trust opposite Clive Owen and Viola Davis), Christine Bruno (Jose Rivera’s adaption of The Maids, Bekah Brunstetter’s Forgotten Corners of Your Dark, Dark Place with TBTB) and newcomer Anna Lentz in her Off-Broadway debut. The play is the second part of a trilogy of plays by Brunstetter that kicked off with The Cake in February at Manhattan Theatre Club. Previews for PUBLIC SERVANT began on May 25 at Theatre Row's Clurman Theatre with an Opening Night on Thursday, June 6.

In PUBLIC SERVANT, Ed has been newly elected as County Commissioner. Ed is one of the good ones. With his daughter Hannah by his side, he is going to change the world -- or at least his little corner of it. Meanwhile, all world-weary Miriam needs is to sell her late Mother's house. Disillusioned with the system but desperate, she turns to Ed for help with what should be a simple request. But in the world of politics, is anything ever simple?

The production team for PUBLIC SERVANT included Edward T. Morris (set), Courtney Butt (costumes), Alejandro Fajardo (lighting), Sam Crawford (sound), Jeremy Ping (production manager), Michal Mendelson (stage manager), Emily Ballou (assistant stage manager) and Melanie Portsche (house manager).

Bekah Brunstetter's plays include The Cake (Ojai Playwrights Conference), Going to a Place where you already are (South Coast Repertory), The Oregon Trail (Portland Center Stage Fall 2016, O’Neill Playwrights Conference), and many others! She has previously written for MTV (Underemployed; I Just Want My Pants Back), ABC Family’s Switched at Birth, and Starz’s American Gods. She is currently a co-producer and writer on NBC’s This Is Us.

Geordie Broadwater is a New York City-based director and writer. Geordie’s previous experience directing Bekah’s work include The Oregon Trail at Fault Line Theater in 2017 and You May Go Now at 45th Street Theater in 2009. Geordie holds a BA in English from Harvard University and an MFA in Directing from the Brown/Trinity Consortium.

The production ran May 25 – June 29 2019 at Theatre Row's Clurman Theatre (410 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues).

All Access performances (with special accommodations) were:


Tue. 6/11 @ 7pm

Fri. 6/14 @ 8pm

Wed. 6/19 @ 7pm

Thur. 6/27 @ 8pm

Sat. 6/29 @ 3pm

Please check out the pictures and reviews from the play.

An image has a review by TheaterMania on a black background. Below two people are sitting. A woman who is wearing an orange polka dotted shirt and thinking about something. A man wearing a blue button down​ shirt is looking at the woman.
An image has a 4-star rating by Front Row Center on a black background. Two pictures are overlapping. Both scenes represent the cause and effect of what will happen in the show.
An image has a review by A Seat on the Aisle on a black background. Two people are sitting and they're about to high five while they're smiling.

PHOTOS BY CAROL ROSEGG

Reviews

“Powerful. Brunstetter Kindly Invites Us To Back In The Sunny Optimism Of Her Alternate Reality.” - Theatermania

“Four Stars!” - Front Row Center

“A terrific three-hander…superb performances.” - A Seat on the Aisle

Public Servant Trailer - 2019

Here is a link to the Public Servant's trailer with the audio descriptions.