The Science of Leaving Omaha was originally commissioned by Washington University and produced there in November 2021. Since the reading at the festival, Lewis has continued to work with The Dramaworkshop to develop and hone the piece for its professional premiere.  

The play was inspired by a 2020 article in The New York Times by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn about the disintegration of working-class communities across the country and its devastating toll from one generation to the next: limited education, joblessness, and broken families. Children are particularly impacted as they try to navigate a social system that dismisses, discards, or demonizes them, while telling them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps without offering them a clear or accessible path to do so.

Lewis’ play is about two such unmoored young people. Iris, 18, feels trapped in her job at a crematory and wants to get out of Omaha. When Baker, 21, breaks into the funeral home to say goodbye to his recently deceased wife, he and Iris struggle, with humor and hope, to understand the dismantling of their working-class lives and to conceive a future that makes sense for them both before their pasts, and the police, catch up with them.   

PBD’s production features Georgi James as Iris, Nicholas-Tyler Corbin as Baker, and Merrina Millsapp as Sally, a security guard. All three are making their PBD debuts. Scenic design is by Michael Amico, costume design is by Brian O’Keefe, lighting design is by Kirk Bookman, and sound design is by Roger Arnold.  

CARTER W. LEWIS (Playwright) served as playwright-in-residence at Washington University in St. Louis from 1999-2021. Prior to that, he was literary manager and playwright-in-residence for the Geva Theatre Center in New York. Carter was also co-founder and resident playwright for Upstart Stage in Berkeley, CA. He is the winner of several national playwriting awards, including the Julie Harris Playwright Award, State Theatre of Austin Best New Play, the Cincinnati Playhouse Rosenthal New Play Prize (1996 and 2001), New Dramatists Arnold Weissberger Playwrighting Award, Playwrights’ Center Jerome Residency, and the Kevin Kline Award for Best New Play of 2009. He is also a two-time nominee for the American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award (now the American Theatre Critics/ Steinberg New Play Award and Citations). His published works include Art Control, No-Preying, A Geometric Digression of the Species, Soft Click of a Switch, An Asian Jockey in Our Midst, and The One-Eyed Man is King. Among his other works are Golf with Alan Shepard, Picasso Does My Maps, Women Who Steal, Men on the Take, American Storm by Integrity Out of Molly Brown, Kid Peculiar, Ordinary Nation, Evie’s Waltz, The Storytelling Ability of a Boy, The Cha-Cha of a Camel Spider, The Hummingbird Wars, and With. His plays have been produced from coast to coast. Carter lives in St. Louis with his dog, Vivian.

PBD has updated its COVID-19 safety protocols for the 2022-23 season. Patrons are encouraged, but no longer required, to wear masks while in the theatre. Actors will continue to be tested a few times a week, as Actors’ Equity Association has rigorous protocols in place for its members. Health documentation is not required, but everyone should make responsible decisions. Anyone who feels unwell should stay home, and contact the box office for ticket exchange options. PBD will continue to monitor the situation and update these policies when necessary. If a mask mandate needs to be reinstituted at any time, ticketholders will be notified in advance of their performance, and the information will also be posted on our website.

Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, nonprofit theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Each season, the award-winning company produces five mainstage shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre, in schools, and online. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through initiatives including Drama(in the)works and the annual New Year/New Plays Festival. PBD is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. palmbeachdramaworks.org

Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm (except August: Osage County, which are at 7:30pm), and select Sundays at 7:30pm. Matinee performances are on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Post-performance discussions for all shows except August: Osage County follow Wednesday matinee and Sunday evening performances. Tickets for all performances are $84, except for opening night of each production ($99) and previews ($64). Student tickets are available for $15, and anyone under 40 pays $40 (no additional fees) with a photo ID. Tickets for educators are half price with proper ID (other restrictions apply). Group rates and subscription packages for four or five plays are also available. Tickets can be purchased through the box office, in person or by phone (561.514.4042 ext 2), and online 24 hours a day at palmbeachdramaworks.org.

The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) 514-4042, or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.