Human Resources by Daniel Hirsch

Kate is having a rough Monday. On top of the fact that she has a new coworker named Alan who won’t shut up, she’s realizing that her job in the User System QA team might be utterly devoid of meaning. Also, she’s probably going to die... As the Mondays accumulate, Kate’s small world is upended when Alan wrangles her into an unexpected friendship. The bond between this pair moves from strained to surprisingly...
Kate is having a rough Monday. On top of the fact that she has a new coworker named Alan who won’t shut up, she’s realizing that her job in the User System QA team might be utterly devoid of meaning. Also, she’s probably going to die... As the Mondays accumulate, Kate’s small world is upended when Alan wrangles her into an unexpected friendship. The bond between this pair moves from strained to surprisingly tender. However, neither can predict how the forces of late-stage, tech-fueled capitalism or one’s impending mortality might muck up their non-romantic, workplace romance.
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Human Resources

Recommended by

  • Blyss Cleveland:
    2 Aug. 2023
    “ This is a wonderful play about finding human connection in the most unlikely place—the workplace. Hirsch does a fantastic job depicting the mundane nature of office work, while keeping the storytelling full of excitement, humor, and tension as the protagonists go from being office mates to friends. Human Resources shows the acts of service we perform for each other to feel alive and make life meaningful. ”
  • Paul Donnelly:
    13 Apr. 2023
    “ A beautiful and unique look at forming human connections in an inhumane environment that encompasses matters of real life and death, of loss and betrayal, of mercy and decency. Alan and Kate are rich and complex characters and it is heartening to watch their relationship evolve. Even Justin, the slimeball CEO who is truly only out for himself, is vividly drawn. The commentary on corporate culture inherent in the narrative is trenchant and biting. This is a rich script working successfully on so many levels. ”
  • Red Theater:
    12 Apr. 2023
    “ HR dives headfirst into the “what-is-the-point” question at the heart of late-capitalist corporate culture, but does so with a tender, humanistic patience. I love the opportunity this script gives to develop a kind of non-romantic intimacy rarely seen onstage. A cathartic, ultimately hopeful glimpse into the inner anxieties and aspirations of your average colleague. ”
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KATE - female, early 50s
ALAN - male, late 20s
JUSTIN (VOICE ONLY) - male, late 30s

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