This is Government

After a bomb threat places all congressional buildings on lockdown, three summer interns find themselves stuck in the one place no one has ever wanted to work overtime: the U.S. government. As the crisis unfolds and their snack supply runs out, they question what power, if any, they have in this increasingly unstable system. Nina Kissinger's dark comedy, THIS IS GOVERNMENT, grapples with the real-time...

After a bomb threat places all congressional buildings on lockdown, three summer interns find themselves stuck in the one place no one has ever wanted to work overtime: the U.S. government. As the crisis unfolds and their snack supply runs out, they question what power, if any, they have in this increasingly unstable system. Nina Kissinger's dark comedy, THIS IS GOVERNMENT, grapples with the real-time consequences of political disarray.

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This is Government

Recommended by

  • Paige Esterly: This is Government

    Saw this at 59 E 59th after missing it at the Whale Watch Reading Series in January! First half made me laugh so hard I cried, second half made me deeply question the responsibilities a government has to its citizens. The best office comedy in any medium I've seen in years and years.

    Saw this at 59 E 59th after missing it at the Whale Watch Reading Series in January! First half made me laugh so hard I cried, second half made me deeply question the responsibilities a government has to its citizens. The best office comedy in any medium I've seen in years and years.

  • Kyler Taustin DePasquale: This is Government

    Quirky, relatable, and well defined characters. Masterfully paced. Brilliant wit woven in from start to tragic ending. Kissinger's THIS IS GOVERNMENT gives a glimpse of the real people behind the politicians we know and asks us all to ponder the definition of civil service.

    Quirky, relatable, and well defined characters. Masterfully paced. Brilliant wit woven in from start to tragic ending. Kissinger's THIS IS GOVERNMENT gives a glimpse of the real people behind the politicians we know and asks us all to ponder the definition of civil service.

  • Tom Moran: This is Government

    What an absorbing play. Using a claustrophobic locked-down Capitol hill office as a backdrop, Kissinger creates a piece that is part comedy, part thriller, and part reflection on American governance and the limits of youthful idealism. And sandwiched in between the many great punchlines, she even manages the difficult job of humanizing people who besiege their elected representatives with nonstop bitter commentary. I was sad to miss this relentlessly entertaining piece at the Valdez Theatre Conference and am glad it's here on NPX.

    What an absorbing play. Using a claustrophobic locked-down Capitol hill office as a backdrop, Kissinger creates a piece that is part comedy, part thriller, and part reflection on American governance and the limits of youthful idealism. And sandwiched in between the many great punchlines, she even manages the difficult job of humanizing people who besiege their elected representatives with nonstop bitter commentary. I was sad to miss this relentlessly entertaining piece at the Valdez Theatre Conference and am glad it's here on NPX.

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Character Information

  • Emi
    Summer Intern. A recent college graduate. An optimist with an anxiety disorder.
    Character Age
    22
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
  • Tip
    Summer Intern. A college student. An idealist who moonlights as a slam poet.
    Character Age
    21
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
  • Kaz
    Staff Assistant and former intern. A realist because they’ve had to be.
    Character Age
    25
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
  • Stevie
    Daily caller. Newly a pessimist.
    Character Age
    50s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Whale Watch Reading Series, Year 2025
  • Type Workshop, Organization Valdez Theatre Conference, Year 2024
  • Type Reading, Organization National High School Institute Theatre Division, Northwestern University, Year 2023
  • Type Reading, Organization Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts, Year 2023
  • Type Workshop, Organization Agnes Nixon Playwriting Festival, Northwestern University, Year 2022

Production History

  • Type University, Organization Wagner College Theatre, Year 2027
  • Type Professional, Organization MOXIE Theatre, Year 2026
  • Type Professional, Organization New Light Theater Project at 59E59, Year 2025
  • Type Professional, Organization Pendragon Theatre, Year 2025

Awards

  • New Light New Voices Award
    New Light Theater Project
    Winner
    2025
  • Princess Grace Fellowship
    New Dramatists
    Semi-Finalist
    2025
  • Seven Devils Playwrights Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2025
  • ScreenCraft Stage Play Competition
    Quarterfinalist
    2025
  • Stanley Drama Award
    Wagner College
    Winner
    2025
  • Morgan-Wixson Theatre New Works Festival
    Semi-Finalist
    2023
  • Ashland New Plays Festival
    Semi-Finalist
    2023
  • O’Neill National Playwrights Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2023
  • Agnes Nixon Playwriting Festival
    Northwestern University
    Winner
    2022