Photos: Nashville Story Garden's HUMAN RESOURCES

The theatrical event of the season, Nashville Story Garden's world premiere production of Human Resources continues its sold-out run at OZ Arts Nashville for one final weekend. Hailed as "ambitious, surprising and wildly imaginative" by local theater critic Amy Stumpfl and as "undoubtedly one of the most experimental and poignant theater pieces developed and staged in Nashville in the past few years," by Fjolla Hoxha for Music City Review, the deeply funny, star-studded theatrical event has created enormous buzz in the local theater scene.

Human Resources unfolds in the comically surreal world of fictional corporation Liminal, a pharmaceutical conglomerate where nothing is as it seems. Audiences follow branching narratives through a dizzying maze of corporate doublespeak and endless paperwork as the company’s employees unravel a mysterious HR complaint and walk the ethical tightrope of corporate survival. The unique performance-going experience allows audiences to witness different scenes from multiple perspectives, as performers guide them to different sides of the expansive OZ Arts creative warehouse. Lively physical interactions, stunning visual stagecraft, surprising humor, and eerily familiar nine-to-five horrors combine to create an inventive and thought-provoking performance where the truth depends on whose story each audience member sees. The locally-developed work uses incisive wit and clever visuals to dismantle assumptions about what to expect from the American workplace and provide a laugh-filled critique of bewildering late-stage capitalism. 

The creative team is helmed by director Lauren Shouse (Avenue Q, Waitress, and The Cake at Nashville Rep) and local legend Nate Eppler (former artist-in-residence and director of Ingram New Works Lab at Nashville Rep). The production also features striking design elements by Phillip Franck (lighting), Tasha AF Lemley (sound), Diana DeGarmo (set), Madeleine Hicks (props), and Jessica & Jacob Anderson (video).

The cast of this engaging theatrical event is led by Nashville Story Garden co-founders and artistic directors Lauren Berst and Tamara Todres, who have previously staged award-winning productions of plays such as The Welkin, Dance Nation, and Ironbound. Also appearing in the cast are many local favorites, including: Geoff Davin, Josh Inocalla, Bakari King, Joe Mobley, Candace-Omnira Lafayette, Wesley Paine, Meggan Utech, and Ayla Williams.

The final 3 performances of Human Resources at OZ Arts Nashville are: Friday, April 4th at 8PM; Saturday, April 5th at 8PM; and Sunday, April 6th at 3PM. Although most evening performances are sold out, hopeful theater-goers can join an in-person waitlist starting 1 hour prior to any showtime for any cancellations. 

Nashville Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. HAIRSPRAY (Cumberland County Playhouse)

9.1% of votes

2. THE LITTLE MERMAID (Springhouse Theatre)

8.6% of votes

3. 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL (Cumberland County Playhouse)

7.2% of votes

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