Big Work
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Big Work is a documentary play that weaves together verbatim excerpts of interviews with 17 strangers into a modern day meditation on the American Dream and how we define success and ourselves in the 21st century.
In 2014, playwrights Melissa Bergstrom and Kate Marple had both just turned 30, and felt largely defined by the ways they made their livings. Melissa was struggling with the idea of what it means to be an artist with a day job. And Kate, after retreating into work during a long period of illness, was trying to figure out where work was supposed to fit in the new life she was building. And everywhere they went, it seemed like every person they met asked the same first question, “What do you do?” Eager to explore the role work plays in shaping both people's sense of self and their relationships, the playwrights interviewed people across the United States--farmers, pharmacists, retail workers, at-home parents, accountants, housekeepers, aerospace engineers, and others. What began as conversation about work, quickly evolved into a deeper exploration about what is expected of us, how much control we have in where we end up, what we will leave behind, and whether or not we really can have it all. The portraits of the real people depicted in the play reveal the rich inner lives we all lead, and beckon us to explore what questions we should be asking in order to truly know one another. |
Watch the Prologue
Discover The Questions Behind the Story
We asked each of the people we interviewed for Big Work the same 13 questions. Their answers form the stories in our play.
1
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What do you do for a living?
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2
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How did you get here?
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3
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How do you describe your job to other people?
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4
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What's the biggest stereotype – positive or negative – that people have, one, about your job, and two, about you because of your job?
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5
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Do you play a character at work?
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6
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What do you get from what you do?
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7
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If you could do anything for a job, what would it be?
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8
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What’s your philosophy about the role work should play in your life?
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9
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Where do you draw your sense of self? Or if it’s easier to answer, what are you most proud of?
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10
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What does success look like for you at work? In your life?
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11
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What do you think the message of the American Dream is? Does it influence you at all?
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12
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What advice would you give to someone graduating high school?
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13
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If you returned home for a family reunion or a high school class reunion, what question do you most wish people would ask you?
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