PITY

About the show

Person, an unemployed everyman, finds his mundane morning in the town square upended by a series of increasingly absurd and catastrophic events. As bombs explode, warlords clash, and refugees seek shelter, Person forms an impromptu marriage with the Daughter of a recently deceased professor. Together, they navigate the escalating madness, clinging to each other and their humanity as the world crumbles around them. Rory Mullarkey’s darkly comedic play is a frenetic, stylized exploration of societal collapse and human resilience. Through rapid-fire dialogue, surreal interludes, and a structure that veers between vignettes and epic sprawl, “Pity” satirizes everything from small-town life to global conflict. The play’s absurdist tone belies its poignant examination of connection in crisis, the malleability of identity, and the human capacity to find humor and hope in the face of unimaginable devastation.