Obama-ology

by Aurin Squire

London Reviews
★★★★ London Review Hub
★★★★ Everything Theatre (UK)

Warren is a fresh-faced, new wave, thoroughly modern, hot-wired, wifi'ed, ecologically green, politically progressive, on-point staffer for the 2008 Obama campaign. When he agrees to some on-the-job training from a chorus of campaign instructors, the questions he faces out in the field begin to unravel his education in the classroom. As his job...

London Reviews
★★★★ London Review Hub
★★★★ Everything Theatre (UK)

Warren is a fresh-faced, new wave, thoroughly modern, hot-wired, wifi'ed, ecologically green, politically progressive, on-point staffer for the 2008 Obama campaign. When he agrees to some on-the-job training from a chorus of campaign instructors, the questions he faces out in the field begin to unravel his education in the classroom. As his job requirements and his personal beliefs split apart, the barriers between political and cultural, psychological and social, racial and religious, public and private begin to dissolve. "Obama-ology" is a 21st century tale about what happens when the traditional ethnic, social, economic, and party boundaries have become so porous that people are never quite sure with whom or where they stand. All that and it's a comedy too!

Other Reviews

1. The Public Review
★★★★
"a fast flowing production in which comedy, suspense and high emotion are delivered with equal confidence. In all respects, this production is in tune with Squire’s smart and incisive dialogue."

2. The Guardian
★★★
"really entertaining evening" and "entertaining political satire"

3. Everything Theatre
“An exuberant, entertaining, engaging, emotional and amusing performance!”

4. British Theatre Guide
"A resounding success thanks to a lively script that leavens the serious issues with apt humour, a series of gripping episodes and the efforts of a well-drilled and more than capable cast."

5. Review Gate
“See this play. This production. Both are miraculous. The whole piece, so vividly played, might hopefully retain the American Dream. But it does so with a wide-awake sense of reality.”

6. One World
“You leave the theatre entertained and provoked, remembering – if ruefully – that moment in history when those who were there could say with conviction, “Change is possible … I saw the proof.”

7. UK Theatre Network
“Aurin Squire has written a satire with substance - a play that should not be missed.”

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Obama-ology

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: Obama-ology

    A powerfully revealing look at the affect on one's political beliefs and ideals as one comes to understand more about the influences as well as the nature of the election campaign. Well done.

    A powerfully revealing look at the affect on one's political beliefs and ideals as one comes to understand more about the influences as well as the nature of the election campaign. Well done.

  • Jessica Chipman: Obama-ology

    Obama-ology is the type of play I can't wait to see someday. It's inspiring, funny, and needed in 2020 just as much as it may have been needed in 2008. Squire's tactic of telling the story through the characters orbiting Warren makes this play inherently theatrical.

    Obama-ology is the type of play I can't wait to see someday. It's inspiring, funny, and needed in 2020 just as much as it may have been needed in 2008. Squire's tactic of telling the story through the characters orbiting Warren makes this play inherently theatrical.

  • Nick Malakhow: Obama-ology

    A spectacular, theatrical piece with potent and important truths and a nuanced heart. Warren is a delightful protagonist to follow due to his humor, the empathy he evokes as we see his varied and complex experiences, and his blindness and faults. His connection with Cece is an incredibly strong thread woven through the entire piece. Squire explores the multitudinous factors that influence political attitudes, dissecting the confounding intersection between idealism, arrogance, anger, ignorance, frustration, and hope at the heart of election/campaign season. This piece really needs to get more...

    A spectacular, theatrical piece with potent and important truths and a nuanced heart. Warren is a delightful protagonist to follow due to his humor, the empathy he evokes as we see his varied and complex experiences, and his blindness and faults. His connection with Cece is an incredibly strong thread woven through the entire piece. Squire explores the multitudinous factors that influence political attitudes, dissecting the confounding intersection between idealism, arrogance, anger, ignorance, frustration, and hope at the heart of election/campaign season. This piece really needs to get more attention as we barrel towards another one.

View all 6 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization The Juilliard School, Year 2014
  • Type Reading, Organization The Juilliard School, Year 2014

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Jubilee Theatre, Year 2019
  • Type Professional, Organization Skylight Theatre, Year 2016
  • Type University, Organization Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Year 2015
  • Type Professional, Organization Finborough Theatre (London), Year 2014
  • Type University, Organization The Juilliard School, Year 2014