←Recommendations of SAVINGS!

Simple on the surface, but brimming with rage and despair underneath, SAVINGS! is a story of how we move forward when the stability we relied on comes to an end. A Greek tragedy for the Amazon Era, a portrait of a community deciding whether to throw in the towel or hold onto the past for dear life, a human look at a corner of the country that is often ignored.

Beautiful, intimate, funny, and full of complex characters rendered with empathy, SAVINGS! is both hyper-specific and extraordinarily human. Gina Femia provides an insightful theatrical exploration of huge themes (gentrification! abandonment! definitions of home and family! the mundanity and profundity of workplace relationships!) with gentleness. The irregularly paced scenes give the impression of collage of humanity, and the characters who show up for a scene feel just as real and lived in as the amazing leads who drive the story. This would be a joy to work on as an actor and director, and a fun build for designers.

Gina Femia has crafted a beautiful, prolific play that tackles a complex topic with a real sense of empathy. Femia has carefully brought to life a diverse group of characters, and you can't help but feel like you intimately know each of these people. "SAVINGS!" is a dense piece that offers a glimpse into the lives of everyday lifelong New Yorkers, and begins a difficult conversation on how to heal and move forward.

Savings! is so relevant in the age of gentrification and corporate crony capitalism, and this wonderfully diverse group of characters all have so much to contribute to the world of this play. From birth to death and all that exists in between, SAVINGS! gives us a glimpse into one community, full of pleasures and pain, and so much longing! A journey not to be missed!

I'm really anxious to see this piece continue its development. Workplace plays are hard. They so easily can fall into the trap of just being a location with a bunch of wacky characters. This play has stakes and take you through the wringer emotionally as you see not just what this grocery store closing does for its employees but also to the community.