Everybody has hopes and dreams. Especially when you’re in your twenties. That’s supposed to be the time of your life where possibilities seem endless and you begin to experience all the world has to offer. Nevertheless, the protagonists in the play, “Gloria,” have seemingly dead-end jobs at the publishing office they work in. The fact that they work in cubicles brings upon a negative connotation towards my perception of their lifestyles. In reading the preview of “Gloria,” I sensed a feeling of tension within that office environment. Dean has a negative attitude towards the intern, especially by making him get a Vitamin Water and chastising him for coming in early. He goes on a rant about how students from prestigious colleges take internships for granted and end up moving onto a better job inevitably. In my opinion, he is extremely blunt and unable to accept numerous perspectives. The point of an intern is to gain experience, and no doubt he has that same purpose when he was Miles’s age. Moreover, the mention of him showing up with a hangover three times in a week makes him even more unlikeable. Maybe I should cut him some slack because he just went to a party he didn’t want to go to, but even then, there’s the element of professionalism he ignores.
As for the other characters so far, they seem like typical workers complaining about their jobs. Their lack of opportunities for promotions and bosses taking away their perks as forms of budget cutbacks are aspects of a typical office worker. Moreover, they have to deal with a co-worker that they don’t like. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is portraying the typical urban office setting that I’ve come to envision due to hearing stories from my family members. But the real mystery is this Gloria character. What is the reason people don’t like her? Why are people too afraid to be real with her or avoid confrontation? Jacobs-Jenkins probably holds off his titular character for the middle of the play in order to convey curiosity and suspense.
Another part I found significant when watching a scene at the Goodman Theatre was the mention of a “five-year plan.” The characters mention that they didn’t want to be working a dead-end job after they turn thirty but have no set agenda for their future endeavors. I feel like that’s the modern-day mentality. People have that big picture perspective but can’t map out the way to get there. Especially in their business of publishing, you need to be that person that stands out and get that opportunity like Kara did.
When reading an interview about Jacobs-Jenkins and this play, I found it interesting how he became inspired by it due to his experience working at The New Yorker. It stemmed from a draft about two co-workers having a conversation within their respective cubicles into a play about personal growth and identity. I thought it was innovative how Jacobs-Jenkins managed to tie in the common theme of what a typical mental state if of a person in their twenties. It also exemplifies that some people are meant for office jobs and some aren’t. When you’re a writer, you look for inspiration, which was ironic because Jacobs-Jenkins wrote this script while living in Berlin. Sitting in a cubicle and living a monotonous lifestyle will never give a writer the boost that they require.
Reading an interview with Jacobs-Jenkins with Hilton Als, I learned how much race has had an influence on his career. Stemming from his elementary school, he had teachers that were Black Panthers and he truly found his calling for the arts when cast as Martin Luther King Jr. in his school’s annual famous African-American performance. This passion was furthered because the stage was where he felt truly comfortable during his adaptation into a multi-racial high school. Eventually, that’s where his play “Neighbors” stems from. The story of a white family who realizes their inner racism is still significant to this day because it’s the reality of the world and also what Jacobs-Jenkins has encountered throughout his life. One surprising thing that I learned in that interview was one critical response towards that play. Since the official start of shows was in 2010, after President Obama was elected, people began to look past the true purpose of the play and state that it was unnecessary. In my opinion, one right doesn’t correct a lifetime of wrongs and there’s still so much more out there to change and improve, which is what Jacobs-Jenkins is advocating through his work. “Gloria,” I believe, is branching off his overall theme or depicting the true aspects of life. Similar to the fact that there is racism in there world, there are also people who still struggle to find their place in society and spend an eternity trying to figure out who they truly are.