LIVING THE DREAM Will Come to Fertile Ground in April

When the Capitol was attacked on January 6th, congressional staffers were caught in the crosshairs. Now, former congressional staffer Lauren Mueller brings that experience to life in Living the Dream, a new play directed by Karen Polinsky, which will receive two staged readings in the Fertile Ground Festival as part of PDX Playwrights' Festival Within the Festival.

Inspired by the playwright's own experiences and first-hand accounts from colleagues, Living the Dream follows a young Democratic press secretary, Inshata, who is trapped with her team inside the Capitol on January 6th, 2021. As chaos unfolds around her, Inshata must confront her loyalty and commitment to her work, questioning how much sacrifice a system can reasonably ask of those who remain invisible within it.

“At a time of growing uncertainty about the future of our democracy, this play asks audiences to consider whether the government we have today is the one that we collectively deserve,” said playwright Lauren Mueller. “January 6th did not happen in a vacuum. It grew from years of collective indifference to the often undervalued, under-resourced, unseen, and unsupported young idealists who make Congress function. Unless we do more to acknowledge, understand, and support these people, we risk becoming complicit in the system's failures.”

"This bold new play reminds us why we care about this country,” said director Karen Polinsky, “It asks us the question: what must we do to take it back?"

With a cast of six playing multiple roles — staffers, rioters, and Capitol Police officers — Living the Dream depicts one of the most harrowing days in recent political memory from perspectives that many may have never seen before. The play invites audiences to see these individuals for who they truly are — idealistic, flawed, well-intentioned, and human.

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LIVING THE DREAM Will Come to Fertile Ground in April

3/27/2026