Escape to Cancel
Anyone who has tried to cancel their service with any tech company will sympathize immediately with Meghan. On her way to work one morning she decides to quickly drop off the cancellation form she filled out from the company’s website, but of course it turns out to be much more complicated than that. She is drawn into a process involving an increasingly bizarre set of characters who hamper, confuse, intimidate and even threaten her in their efforts to keep her as a customer. When Meghan’s best friend is brought to the office in tears with instructions to illustrate the horror of “a life without CompCorp in it,” Meghan realizes enough is enough! This fast-paced, hilarious ensemble play offers a rich opportunity for actors to hone their comedic skills. About 30 minutes.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
PLAYWRIGHT TIM MOGFORD
TALKS ABOUT ESCAPE TO CANCEL
Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?
A: After a somewhat heated exchange of views with a representative of a certain cable company, I was reminded of an article I had read about the strategies put in place by such companies to keep their customers from cancelling or amending their service. It quickly struck me that theatre might be a way of reaching out to other people as frustrated as me, and the play came quickly after that.
Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?
A: “You just unplug it.” Because I think it’s important for us all to remember that we do have that option!
Q: WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
A: I hope we can all identify to some extent with Meghan, Katie and poor Jessi. As for the others, I should probably plead the fifth. Suffice it to say that I have been in meetings and conferences where I have experienced elements of all the other characters. I confess I did enjoy writing Paul and Rob, and was tempted to subtitle the play “If Harold Pinter worked for Comcast.”
Q: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?
A: I wanted to draw attention to a tech service industry that really does seem to me to be increasingly paranoid and controlling. At the same time, I hope the characters do make the process satirical and ludicrous enough to laugh at.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
A: Just a plea on behalf of live theatre, which to me is still the supreme antidote to our screen-obsessed lives.