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Recommendations

Recommendations

  • Pamela Morgan:
    4 Nov. 2022
    The Profession tackles the institutionalized patriarchy of our highest and lowest institutions while following the struggles of two women trapped within them. Eppich-Harris has written two powerhouse female roles with ample room to shine. Their complex stories overlap and intertwine, and their journeys to empower each other are riveting.

    I also appreciated Eppich-Harris' skill in the character of Paul. Like Uncle Peck in Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive, I almost felt sorry for him and the consequences he will face.

    An incredibly relevant story full of heart and humanity. Highly recommended!
  • Donald E. Baker:
    2 Aug. 2022
    "Higher ed has become some kind of capitalist hellscape," Valerie says in this excellent play about the compromises liberal arts professors are called upon to make when which programs survive is determined by cost-benefit analysis. Corrupting academic politics, petty vindictiveness, ethical lapses, blackmail--all kinds of intellectual prostitution are on display, as is the traditional type available at the nearby strip club. Eppich-Harris's well-drawn characters find themselves in soul-sucking workplace situations that may seem all too familiar to people in nearly any profession. Will any of them emerge with their humanity intact? Highly recommended.
  • Morey Norkin:
    13 Mar. 2022
    Given her impressive background in English literature, it is not surprising that Marcia Eppich-Harris’s “The Profession” is brimming with the stuff of great literature: morality vs. self-preservation, ambition, finding purpose in our lives, all put together in a strong story with fully developed characters. Eppich-Harris explores these themes while revealing the disheartening state of higher education. I wish I had a professor like Dr. Hardy (or Dr. Eppich-Harris) when I took Shakespeare and Milton as an undergrad.
  • Jarred Corona:
    6 Nov. 2021
    "The Fall is just another kind of creation." When I was in my undergrad, administrators sought to cut costs and ravage our college of arts and letters. The Kentucky governor of the time talked solely about STEM's ability to find jobs. There's piles upon piles of unfortunate truths in THE PROFESSION. From patriarchy to capitalism, the world is much more complicated and harsh than we like to confront. It's messy. One could argue it's a place made by an asshole. And yet Eppich-Harris takes our fallen world and commits an act of beautiful creation. Wonderfully done.
  • Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos:
    16 Oct. 2021
    In “The Profession”, the seedy under bellies of two career paths are exposed, but just which profession is more corrupt isn’t entirely clear. Gender, class, and capitalism all collide resulting in a paradise lost, one that perhaps never was. Set to a smart, literary backdrop, Eppich-Harris hands down this authentic indictment of academia. A truly well written play. Highly recommended.
  • Sasha Karuc:
    15 Sep. 2021
    Power dynamics, reproductive health, sex work—this play covers a lot of ground without ever feeling like it’s stretched itself too thin or losing nuance.

    The characters in Marcia Eppich-Harris’s THE PROFESSION feel fully fleshed and ground the play as it navigates the ways that power dynamics and hypocrisy have become entrenched in academia. Sometimes there are no easy answers. Eppich-Harris really packs a punch in this honest and heartbreaking (yet still hopeful) play.
  • Julie Zaffarano:
    1 Jul. 2021
    A heart wrenching piece about human desires and morals, set in the world of academia. Stakes are high and defined. Tightly written and gripping, Marcia Eppich-Harris pulls us into this journey that we will think about long after the play is over.
  • Mary Karty:
    1 May. 2021
    This is a great play that has a women over 40 as the main character, that's refreshing, right? The "Profession" deals with not only the power struggle of the patriarchy, but also of women friendships, the power of mentorship, and women looking out for other women. It is about who is believed and who is set aside. Eppich-Harris writes distinct characters that we don't often see on stage or screen: deeply flawed, some admirable, some deplorable. There are many "teachable" moments without being "preachy." There are elements of Shakespeare and Milton, but is very "now" and relatable.
  • Donna Hoke:
    24 Apr. 2021
    A wonderfully wrought play about the decline of the humanities (sad face) and humanity, a brew of hypocrisy, dubious morality, and patriarchal double standards that plays out in the perfect location: a struggling academic institution. Eppich-Harris clearly knows the world she's writing about, and Valerie's turmoil is heartbreakingly real.
  • Judith Robinson:
    23 Apr. 2021
    The Profession is a must read script about the corruption in American universities. A hypocritical, maniacal dean coerces tenured professors in the arts and humanities to abandon their posts or face dire consequences. Far from perfect, the tyrant lives a double life—espousing moral purity on the job and living out his fetish fantasies on the side. His nemesis—the tenured, well-experienced, female head of the English department calls him out and refuses to buckle under. The head-to-head conflict effectively portrays the true and sad situation at many pillars of higher learning. This work is a tour de force.

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