Essential Theatre’s triumvirate of new shows this summer includes a world premiere from tireless gay playwright Topher Payne.
His latest is “Evelyn in Purgatory,” which he laughingly calls “The Breakfast Club” for teachers. It’s the story of a group of public school teachers, crammed into a tiny office at the Department of Education, awaiting disciplinary hearings.
“They’re being punished, but nobody in charge cares enough to even observe them,” says Payne, also a GA Voice columnist. “The teachers have no information on how long they’ll be there, or what they’re supposed to be doing. So they’re just stuck in the system. But you can only do nothing for so long, so they get to know each other, have screaming fights, start a book club, learn French, and workshop a screenplay.”