Assistance
Video
Assistance
Mainstage Theater
Written by
Leslye Headland
Directed by Trip Cullman
For these young assistants, life is an endless series of humiliations at the hands of their hellacious boss, a powerful uber-magnate. In rare moments of calm when the phone calls stop rolling, Nick and Nora and their traumatized co-workers question whether all their work will lead to success -- or just more work. Leslye Headland’s Assistance is a biting, high-octane satire about our attraction to power and what we’re willing to sacrifice to stay in its orbit.
Creative Team
David Korins
Scenic Designer
Jessica Pabst
Costume Designer
Ben Stanton
Lighting Designer
Jill BC DuBoff
Sound Designer
Kyle Gates
Production Stage Manager
Photos of (1) Virginia Kull and Michael Esper; (2) Michael Esper and Virginia Kull; (3) Amy Rosoff; and (4) Sue-Jean Kim and Lucas Near-Verbrugghe by Joan Marcus.
“4 of 5 stars. A KNOCKOUT. Fast-paced, gutsy and good-looking. A welcome follow-up to Bachelorette. Leslye Headland’s observant dialogue crackles with biting humor and truth. The cast is superfine. Assistance rises effortlessly. ”
— NY Daily News“4 of 5 stars. VICIOUSLY FUNNY. The fine actors in ASSISTANCE are dream hires: not only the town’s funniest, but also the hardest working. Leslye Headland is a puckish weaver of sharp, pinging dialogue, a modern-day screwball patter, choreographing bravura bursts of phone activity, during which characters take calls, transfer, coordinate itineraries, all the while navigating personal drama and office vendettas. ”
— David Cote, Time Out New York
“3 ½ out of 4 stars. Leslye Headland unleashes A RAPID-FIRE COMIC BLITZKRIEG with a spot-on ear for the way 20-somethings relate to each other. Under the speedy direction of Trip Cullman, the top-notch cast masters these characters. ”
— Elisabeth Vincentelli, NY Post
