THIS IS GOVERNMENT
A new play by Nina Kissinger
Directed by Sarah Norris
August 27th - August 30th
in Saranac Lake, NY
September 5th - September 28th
Running off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters
in New York City
THE team
Playwright: Nina Kissinger (she/her)
Director: Sarah Norris (she/her)
Scenic Designer: Daniel Allen (he/him)
Costume Designer: Krista Grevas (she/her)
Lighting Designer: TBA
Sound Designer: Jennie Gorn (he/she/they)
Props Designer: Peggy Orman (she/her)
Production Stage Manager: TBA
Assistant Stage Manager: Jazmin Miller (she/her)
Technical Director: Cat Copeland (she/they)
Assistant Technical Director: Molly Delaney (they/them)
THE CAST
Emi: TBA
Tip: TBA
Kaz: TBA
Stevie: TBA
ABOUT THE SHOW
It's summer in Washington, DC and low-level staffers are fielding irate constituent's calls for congressman Bochman during yet another workplace lockdown. While everyone outside investigates a suspicious red Camry, they find themselves stuck in the one place no one has ever wanted to work overtime: the US government.
As their patience and snack supply runs out, they follow clues and evidence to get to the bottom of how this situation unfolded and why. A quirky comedy with heart, This is Government grapples with the real-time consequences of political disarray.
90 Minutes
PG-13
Adult Content & Language
NINA KISSINGER
Playwright
Nina (she/her) is a playwright
based in Brooklyn. Her work has been
developed/produced by the B Street Theatre, Soho Playhouse, Valdez Theatre Conference, The Tank, T. Schreiber Studio & Theatre, Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts, Barons Court Theatre, National High School Institute, and more. She is the winner of the 2025 Stanley Drama Award and has twice been named a Semi-Finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Nina is a member of the 2024-2025 BMI Musical Theatre Bookwriting Workshop, 2024-2025 Purple Light Productions Artist Palette Cohort, and a graduate of Northwestern University. ninakissinger.com
SARAH NORRIS
Director
Sarah (she/her) is an award-winning
director. Select: The Greatest Hits Down
Route 66 (Drama Desk nom, 'Best of 2024' Travel Style Magic), H*tler's Tasters (4 Stage Raw Awards, including Direction; 6 Scenie Awards from StageSceneLA, including Outstanding Direction of a Comedy-Drama; 'Top 20 of 2024' Angeles Stage; TimeOut NY Critics' Pick, Best of the Edinburgh Fringe; featured in the NY Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Times and the BBC), Everything is Super Great (TimeOut NY Critics' Pick), This Wrestling Place (w/ Executive Producer Ben Folds), Picture Ourselves in Latvia (Best of Theater, The L Magazine), and Lily ('Top 12 of 2019' NJ Arts). Other directing highlights include: Ensemble Studio Theater (NYC), New Jersey Rep, Guild Hall of East Hamptons, Pleasance Theatre (Edinburgh), Greenside Theatre (Edinburgh), Bottom Dog Theatre (Ireland), Adelaide Fringe Festival (Australia), 59E59 Theaters, Rogue Machine (Los Angeles), LAByrinth Theatre, Working Theater, Electric Lodge (LA), Chicago Dramatists, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, The Flea Theater, Zeiders American Dream Theater, Calliope Stage, Forestburgh Playhouse, and New Light Theater Project (Founding Artistic Director). Member of SDC. SarahNorris.org