Fringe First: Freedom of Information Actors and GS-14

July 8, 3:03 PMDC Theater ExaminerClare Johnson

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Image courtesy Jason Ford

Jason Ford has been a member of the Playwright's Forum for 12 years and have had readings of his plays at numerous theaters in the area. He currently works for the Federal government as information technology specialist and previously worked as an economist and trainer. He brings his play GS-14 to the Cap Fringe Festival.


Is this your first Fringe Experience?
Yes.

What drew you to this piece?
My whole idea for the play GS-14 came because of a discussion with a manager. The manager told me they took a class where they were told they couldn't tell an employee to wear a tie on any occasion, even if that employee was meeting with the director of the agency. I thought such an edict was ludicrous. It sounded like a manager was barred from giving basic workplace advice to young employees who might desperately need it. On a larger sense, fear of lawsuits had causes some to fear the normal human process of teaching the next generation about customs and tradition.

From that conservation, I conceived the character of Hank Macelroy, a manager who ignores every rule to get the job done. He tries to fire bad employees. He gives employees good advice even if he knows it means a grievance. Will Hank triumph over the bureaucracy?

Why should Fringe patrons see your show?
Patrons should see this play for many reasons. The most important reason is that the play is funny. When talking about an odd brainy employee, Hank says "The human skull can comfortably hold only about 120 I.Q. points. Beyond that, the brain tends to fold in on itself and oddities develop." When trying to stop a bad marriage from happening, Hank says "if the bride hates the groom but loves the dress, the wedding often still happens." The play has some great actors who know how to play up the comic moments.

The play also has some pertinent issues for our time. While we are massively expanding government, the play gives my inside take on what the government can and can't do. The characters are working on a project that will save lives if done right, but must contend with all sorts of rules and interoffice conflicts. A running theme of the play is how hard it is to fire employees who deserve to be fired.


What's next for you and/or for the company?
My next play is about the issue of abortion. The premise is a young man who is pro-choice is forced by an odd set of circumstances to fight passionately for the pro-life viewpoint in one case. It looks at both the issue and how the arguments on both sides degenerate into cliches.


Performances of GS-14 are as follows (all performances take place at The Bodega - at The Trading Post 1013 7th ST NW):

July 12th 9:30 pm
July 15th 5:30 pm
July 18th 6 pm
July 23rd 8 pm
July 26th 11:45 am

Fringe venues are small, so purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment.