A staged reading of the darkly comic American classic 'The Adding Machine' by Elmer Rice, following the tragic story of Mr. Zero.
The SLCC Theatre Department is bringing The Adding Machine to The Grand Theatre on Thursday, November 19, as a staged reading. It's a darkly comic American classic by Elmer Rice, and since it's a reading, the focus stays on the text rather than a full production.
The story centers on Mr. Zero, a man who's spent decades working the same job only to be replaced by a machine. From there, things take a sharp turn: he spirals into murder and finds himself in a haunting afterlife. It's a play that looks at the feeling of being replaced and the absurdity of the bureaucracy that follows, and it does so with a dark sense of humor that carries it through.
Because this is a staged reading, the actors will be on stage with the scripts in hand, which lets you hear the writing without the distraction of a full set. It's a good way to experience a play like this—one that relies so much on its dialogue and its specific, bleak kind of comedy—without the bells and whistles of a traditional production. If you've ever felt like a cog in a machine, the premise will probably hit close to home.
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The reading starts at 7 PM on Thursday, November 19, at The Grand Theatre, and tickets are $10 general admission.
