BPF

Baltimore Playwrights Festival
C.Y.A
by Kimberley Lynne
August 3-25 2007
Directed by Carlos del Valle

Again, one of the great things about the BPF is that we never know what the play's going to be at the outset. But rest-assured, the Mob usually picks something that's a little further afield than boy meets girl. We've taken on love-sick elves, schoolyard bullies, an overweight young woman in search of herself, ghosts, a lonely bar owner, stalkers, Eve, and a pyromaniac cross-dresser, just to name a few. What's it going to be this year?

And this year will be following Mary and Jane, two administrative assistants at an American investment banking firm. About to be sold to a German company. With a boss who doesn't like the Germans. Sure to be ... a special experience.

From The New York Times, June, 2002, Stephen Labaton: “The bursting of the stock market bubble, combined with the changing face of the American population, has led to a surge in business fraud and corruption prosecutions and investigations.” The financial industry is defrauding the American public and burning out its work force.

Mary and Jane are administrative assistants in an American investment-banking firm that is being sold to a German company. Mary’s long time boss Jerry Braxton refuses to work for the Germans, based on his British father’s experience in the London Blitz. When Mary learns that Jerry is leaving and not taking her with him, she tries to extort him with her knowledge of his various SEC violations. By the end of the play, Mary resolves to organize the investment banking administrative assistants into a union and fight the powerful banker who once protected her. Although Mary assumes that Jane will leave banking as well, Jane decides to stay, seduced by money and power.

As the play tracks Mary’s growth and Jane’s seduction, it concentrates on the lack of empowerment of American workers and the socialism and communism inherent inside the structure of capitalism. Within the strict economic and social striations in American business, the servant/master relationship thrives.

Kimberley Lynne Playwright	Tony Gallahan Producer	Carlos del Valle Director
Ashley Watson Stage Manager	Angie McNulty Set Design	Justin Van Hassel Lighting Design
Heiko Spieker Sound Design	Margaret Deli Costume Design	Christine Janis Production Assistant

The cast of CYA by Kimberley's Lynne - Mobtown's entry in the Baltimore Playwrights Festival. Michael Leicht, Eileen Cuff, Janise Whelan, Stephen Rourke, Adele Russel, and Zak Jeffries.	Eileen Cuff in Kimberley's Lynne's CYA - Mobtown's entry in the Baltimore Playwrights Festival.	Jerry (Michael Leicht) and Mary (Janise Whelan) in Kimberley's Lynne's CYA - Mobtown's entry in the Baltimore Playwrights Festival.
Jane (Eileen Cuff, l.), Mary (Janise Whelan, c.), and Susan (Adele Russel, r.) in Kimberley's Lynne's CYA - Mobtown's entry in the Baltimore Playwrights Festival.	Jane (Eileen Cuff, l.) and Mary (Janise Whelan, r.) in Kimberley's Lynne's CYA - Mobtown's entry in the Baltimore Playwrights Festival.	Mary (Janise Whelan) casts a look at Ken (Stephen Rourke, r.), while Jason (Zak Jeffries, background) looks on, in Kimberley's Lynne's CYA - Mobtown's entry in the Baltimore Playwrights Festival.