Currently in Development:

Adapted from No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre

Chapman University Bachelors of Arts in Theatre Thesis Project

2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Recipient

2025 Scholarly/Creative Grant Recipient

LAST EXIT

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Play Synopsis

LAST EXIT, a new play adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1944 existential play No Exit, interrogates the impacts of political polarization in the United States, cycles of power, exploitation, and survival, and corruption of modern democracy. Set in a post-apocalyptic modern A.M.E.R.I.C.A (Authoritarian Mechanism for Enforcement, Regulation, Indoctrination, Control, and Assimilation), Big Mac, Fry, and Nugget find themselves trapped inside a McDonalds whilst fleeing the country for Mexico. As the characters debate cyber trucks, the American Dream whether or not meals are really “happy”, who deserves to be served first, and finally, their options for escape, three stories of what it means to live in contemporary America unfold in real time. Can they come together to find a way out? Or will they remain locked inside for good?

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Research Project Abstract

Contemporary theatrical adaptation involves deconstructing, reimagining, and rewriting historical plays for modern audiences. Adaptation appropriates theatrical conventions, changes the lens through which the audience may view the play, and offers new entry points into thinking and practice. Adaptation asks, “why this source as theatre now?” and proposes that history provides tools for engagement with contemporary issues. By employing a Practice as Research (PaR) methodology, the LAST EXIT play project investigates the art of historical adaptation and collaboration by adapting No Exit, a 1945 existentialist play by Jean-Paul Sartre, through the lenses of constructivism and performance studies. Developed through interviews, collaborative workshops, informal and formal readings, the project explores the following question: how can historical plays help modern audiences respond to current conflicts?

Written during the occupation of Paris in World War II, No Exit was a subversive display of anti-fascist resistance; a statement of hope despite the terrifying circumstances in which the characters find themselves. LAST EXIT, set in the present-day United States, will examine the corruption of democracy, political polarization, and the performance of identity during crisis. As changes reshape the nation’s political, social, and cultural landscape, our collective “ending” feels increasingly uncertain. Yet, Sartre’s message resonates: if you are unhappy with your situation, you must take action. Contemporary adaptations, motivated by the belief that creative production and cultural participation can fortify the best parts of our humanity, allow us to build compassionate, people-centered communities.