Most of us don’t look forward to going into the office. We dread Monday mornings. And we spend all week looking to Friday afternoon when we can get the hell out of the office. Yet, the office seems to be a place we return to again and again for entertainment. NBC’s The Office just had its series finale after nine mostly successful seasons. Office Space, a 1999 film from Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge, that is at turns funny and painfully real, has gone from being a cult classic to just a classic.
So, why are we so eager to visit that place that we dread? Is it that we wish our office had hilarious cutups like on TV? Is it cathartic to watch others be miserable in their office as well? MadLab delves further into that realm with 2 upcoming offerings.
The :nv:s:ble Play is about Colin, the guy no one ever notices; the guy fading away in the cubicle next to you. The guy who has finally gone completely invisible. That’s problematic especially when you’re in love with a co-worker. Much like Office Space, it’s a very funny comedy with some all too real truths. Sometimes when your boss is looking for you at work, you want to be invisible. But, on another level, none of us want to be that worker that no one notices. None of us want to be that person that no one notices.
3in30, MadLab’s late night series, makes no bones about it as the theme for their upcoming set of shows is Office. 3in30 is 3 ten minutes shows presented after a main stage show earlier in the evening. Since it is usually the encore for a piece already going on at MadLab, it is usually at the whim of whatever set (or lack thereof) is being used for that show. In this instance, they will be following The :nv:s:ble Play. The set for :nv:s:ble is a set of six office cubicles. So, not much of a jump for them to come up with their theme.
It’s always interesting to see where the writers go with the themes provided. This go around 2 of the 3 writers have worked zombies into the office setting. In one piece, the workers are zombies and who among us can’t relate to that? The other piece ends up dealing with a zombie attack. Again, who hasn’t felt like they’re being cannibalized and under attack at work?
Nonetheless, don’t be afraid to give at the office.
The :nv:s:ble Play by Alex Dremann will be presented 8 p.m., Thursday August 29, Friday August 30, and Saturday August 31, Friday September 6 and Saturday September 7, Friday September 13 and Saturday September 14 at MadLab Theatre, 227 N. 3rd St.
3 in 30: Office will be presented 10:30 pm, Friday September 6th and Saturday September 7that MadLab Theatre, 227 N. 3rd St. For more information, Visit Madlab.net.
GCAC Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus – in partnership with the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, a professional development and networking association of arts marketers. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at the arts in Columbus.
