As students settle in after returning to the Capstone, The University of Alabama’s Theatre and Dance Department prepares to put on “Gloria,” a show that takes place in the office building of an affluent Manhattan magazine. 

Who: The event is open to the public. 

What: The UA Department of Theatre and Dance’s production of “Gloria.” 

When: The play will be open from Monday, Sept. 26 to Sunday, Oct. 2. 

Where: The Allen Bales Theatre in Rowand-Johnson Hall 

Robert Fuson, a second-year directing graduate student and the director of the show, leads the cast and crew to perform the program’s first fall show.   

“Gloria,” originally written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, centers on the concept of working Americans and their interactions. It is billed as a dramatic comedy and became a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  

“It’s a very cutting show,” Fuson said. “It’s one of those shows where you laugh at something because you can’t do anything else but laugh at it.”  

Fuson’s adaptation of “Gloria” is not a significant departure from the original writing. Still, it maintains the source material’s darker humor and heavy subject matter, and satirizes the tensions and dynamics between coworkers in a heavily competitive environment.  

The show is not only impactful for its commentary on human behavior, but it also is a message to college students moving into the workplace. One character, Myles, is an undergraduate student in his junior year who is learning to navigate such a setting.  

“I wish I had seen something like this when I was entering the workforce, so I had a better understanding of what working a job can be like in some cases and that not all jobs are created equal in terms of your mental health and sanity,” Fuson said. 

Fuson was also involved in the proposal to put on “Gloria.”  

“It feels like it becomes more relevant every week. It was a show that I cared a lot about, and I thought the script was very powerful and had a good, timely message,” Fuson said. 

“Gloria” opens on Sept. 26 and closes on Oct. 2 in the Allen Bales Theatre in Rowand-Johnson Hall, and tickets are currently available for $10. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. except for the matinee on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2:00 p.m.