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The Flick
Annie Baker's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about three cinema attendants - 'Wondrous, devastating, hilarious, and infinitely touching. A play to be treasured' New York Times. In a run-down movie theatre in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees mop the floors and attend to one of the last 35-millimetre film projectors in the state. Their tiny battles and not-so-tiny heartbreaks play out in the empty aisles, becoming more gripping than the lacklustre, second-run movies on screen. With keen insight and a finely tuned ear for comedy, The Flick is a hilarious and heart-rending cry for authenticity in a fast-changing world. The Flick arrived at the National Theatre, London, in 2016, direct from New York, where it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
96 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2014
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About the author
Annie Baker
24 books263 followersBaker grew up in Amherst, Mass., and graduated from the Department of Dramatic Writing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She earned her MFA from Brooklyn College.
Her play Body Awareness was staged off-Broadway by the Atlantic Theater Company in May and June 2008. The play featured JoBeth Williams and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Circle Mirror Transformation premiered off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in October 2009 and received Obie Awards for Best New American Play and Performance, Ensemble. Her play The Aliens, which premiered off-Broadway at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in April 2010, was a finalist for the 2010 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and shared the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play with Circle Mirror Transformation.
Baker's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya premiered at the Soho Repertory Theatre in June 2012 and was called a "funky, fresh new production" by a New York Times reviewer. Her play The Flick premiered at Playwrights Horizons in March 2013. A New York Times reviewer wrote, "Ms. Baker, one of the freshest and most talented dramatists to emerge Off Broadway in the past decade, writes with tenderness and keen insight." The play received the Obie Award for Playwriting in 2013.
Baker teaches in the MFA program at Stony Brook Southampton. She was one of seven playwrights selected to participate in the 2008 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab. In 2011 she was named a Fellow of United States Artists.
Her play Body Awareness was staged off-Broadway by the Atlantic Theater Company in May and June 2008. The play featured JoBeth Williams and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Circle Mirror Transformation premiered off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in October 2009 and received Obie Awards for Best New American Play and Performance, Ensemble. Her play The Aliens, which premiered off-Broadway at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in April 2010, was a finalist for the 2010 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and shared the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play with Circle Mirror Transformation.
Baker's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya premiered at the Soho Repertory Theatre in June 2012 and was called a "funky, fresh new production" by a New York Times reviewer. Her play The Flick premiered at Playwrights Horizons in March 2013. A New York Times reviewer wrote, "Ms. Baker, one of the freshest and most talented dramatists to emerge Off Broadway in the past decade, writes with tenderness and keen insight." The play received the Obie Award for Playwriting in 2013.
Baker teaches in the MFA program at Stony Brook Southampton. She was one of seven playwrights selected to participate in the 2008 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab. In 2011 she was named a Fellow of United States Artists.
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June 9, 2018
بار اول:
یک نمایشنامه متفاوت و عالی!
ترجمه هم خیلی عالی بود. توضیح صحنهها کامل و خیلی خوب ترجمه شده بودن (که البته به نویسنده هم بر میگرده) و چیز جدیدی که داشت و توسط نویسنده ثبت شده بود و مترجم هم ازش نگذشته بود، علامتهایی بود که نشون میداد دیالوگ بعدی از کجای دیالوگ قبلی شروع شده. ینی دقیق میگفت که حرف جدید، کجای حرف قدیم باید پریده بشه.
چیزی که خوب بود این بود که علاوه بر داستان جذاب و موقعیت جدید ( توی یک سینما) محتوای جذابی هم داشت و بیچیز جلو نمیرفت. خیلی خوب درون شخصیتها رو نوشته بود و درگیریهای آدمهاش رو به تصویر کشیده بود. موقعیتهایی که توی آدمهای این روزها میبینیم ولی انگار اصلن معلوم نیست که از کجا میان. اینجا هم نشون نمیداد که از کجا میان -طبعن- ولی به وجود اومدنشون رو خوب شکل داده بود.
پایانِ خیلی خوب!
یک نمایشنامه متفاوت و عالی!
ترجمه هم خیلی عالی بود. توضیح صحنهها کامل و خیلی خوب ترجمه شده بودن (که البته به نویسنده هم بر میگرده) و چیز جدیدی که داشت و توسط نویسنده ثبت شده بود و مترجم هم ازش نگذشته بود، علامتهایی بود که نشون میداد دیالوگ بعدی از کجای دیالوگ قبلی شروع شده. ینی دقیق میگفت که حرف جدید، کجای حرف قدیم باید پریده بشه.
چیزی که خوب بود این بود که علاوه بر داستان جذاب و موقعیت جدید ( توی یک سینما) محتوای جذابی هم داشت و بیچیز جلو نمیرفت. خیلی خوب درون شخصیتها رو نوشته بود و درگیریهای آدمهاش رو به تصویر کشیده بود. موقعیتهایی که توی آدمهای این روزها میبینیم ولی انگار اصلن معلوم نیست که از کجا میان. اینجا هم نشون نمیداد که از کجا میان -طبعن- ولی به وجود اومدنشون رو خوب شکل داده بود.
پایانِ خیلی خوب!
August 11, 2016
This play surprised me in how much I enjoyed it. I'm not a big fan of reading plays, but I'm wending my way through reading all the women Pulitzer works, so this came up on my list. Something about the immediacy of the conversations in a very imaginable work place, among very real and normal people that we can all picture interacting with if not working alongside pulled me in right away and made this an easy read. There is plenty of foreshadowing and symbolism to be found for those who want to get into an academic analysis, but the story is somehow, quietly, great on its own. Work conversations reveal timeless, but not worn-out-feeling themes of friendship, unrequited love, sexuality, surprising loyalties, betrayals, and the march of progress. Somehow this all fits into a play without overloading the flow and aura. It's strange to me, because while Baker's work is not a high-glamour adventure, it comes off as having a profound depth when you shut the cover and reflect on the experience. Don't read this for a great adventure or thrilling tale, or even melodramatic romance. Go into it expecting a mysteriously satisfying glimpse at real life as relationships develop and change among quite dynamic personalities, and their actions prompt consequences.
I wonder if I would like "The Flick" as much in performance, with all the pauses that must be quite lengthy in a theater. I wonder if that adds to the craftsmanship somehow, or if it would just annoy me over time since this must hit 3 or 4 hours. But as a read, I enjoyed it more than I ever usually do with plays. Perhaps that is because it has a strong psychological element and subtle revelations about relationships?
I wonder if I would like "The Flick" as much in performance, with all the pauses that must be quite lengthy in a theater. I wonder if that adds to the craftsmanship somehow, or if it would just annoy me over time since this must hit 3 or 4 hours. But as a read, I enjoyed it more than I ever usually do with plays. Perhaps that is because it has a strong psychological element and subtle revelations about relationships?
September 21, 2019
Like, the most / perfect, like, elegant thing ever.
December 23, 2020
The person that has spent a formidable amount of time working in a retail, food service, or any form of entertainment will understand the nature of this play than anyone else. While the people in this play do not represent the entirety of those that spend a portion of time working in these jobs, there is a good sample that is very reflective of mainstays such as Sam and Rose in some way, shape, or form. Then there is Avery, who is the most likable and relatable character in this play. Avery has a quiet sense of wonder, a will to do right, and he loves movies, which is the central theme to this play. This play is set at a movie theater in Massachusetts called "The Flick," which is one of the last theaters to use 35 millimeter film projectors. Rose is among the last projectionists, while Sam and, as the play begins, Avery are general workers, taking care of maintenance and concessions.
There is not much of a dramatic plot to this play, aside from the interactions between Sam, Avery, and Rose. In fact, the only other character in this play is someone known as "The Dreaming Man," who gets his name from the fact that he was found falling asleep in the theater and was still sleeping at the end of a particular film. We later learn his name is Skylar and we feel as if his role is to play the role of a placeholder that defines a worker with no personality or ambition. Events occur within the lives of the characters in this play and the conversations and ways they go about their day are very engaging and we also see Sam and Rose badmouthing their manager, Steve. Steve is never seen or heard in this play and the only account we get is from the characters within this play. While it would be fair to say that Sam and Rose's distaste for him may not be entirely reliable, we can gather that he is a bit shallow between his disposition toward Avery when hiring him and how he promoted Rose to be a projectionist despite Sam having seniority and the two being equally qualified. There is a sense of "blame games" that Sam and Rose play when things do not go their way, where as Avery does his best to do the right thing and correct the mistakes he has made.
This play is unique in how it captures the emotions of human desire in a fast changing world. We see the world changing from projectors to digital filming and with everything going on in 2020, the movie theater is now an endangered species in favor of a direct subscription program. I personally have not been to the movie theaters since 2013 and I must say that the one thing I miss is movie theater popcorn. Everything else I could get from the comfort of my own home, including a pause button for when I have to use the bathroom after having addressed my thirst following the consumption of so much salty popcorn. I digress. Anyway, the subjects in this play are perfectly flawed, but at the same time their actions reflect an accuracy to a lot of people in their circumstances in some way, shape, or form. It is also pretty accurate that they use the word "like" to connect pauses, which is quite common among today's speakers.
Sam and Rose certainly have their issues, which becomes evident as the play progresses, but this play also addresses those issues and makes clear about how people's decisions do have consequences. Avery is just someone you feel a sense of sympathy for, given his hardships and what he has made out of them. It is nearly evident that he is depressed and a good guess could be made that he is neurodivergent, likely on the spectrum. Annie Baker has written about a character on the spectrum in another play of hers called "Body Awareness."
The Flick is a play that is worth checking out. It is well laid out so that watching it as a performance would be quite intriguing. It also speaks to the millennial audience in its language and how relatable it can be to that particular generation. In some way, shape, or form, we long for nostalgia and look back at the things that made us happy. Reboots and throwbacks are quenching this desire for those that crave it. The Flick speaks of this and any other kind of sacred cheese that their subjects long for, regardless of their attitude and circumstance.
There is not much of a dramatic plot to this play, aside from the interactions between Sam, Avery, and Rose. In fact, the only other character in this play is someone known as "The Dreaming Man," who gets his name from the fact that he was found falling asleep in the theater and was still sleeping at the end of a particular film. We later learn his name is Skylar and we feel as if his role is to play the role of a placeholder that defines a worker with no personality or ambition. Events occur within the lives of the characters in this play and the conversations and ways they go about their day are very engaging and we also see Sam and Rose badmouthing their manager, Steve. Steve is never seen or heard in this play and the only account we get is from the characters within this play. While it would be fair to say that Sam and Rose's distaste for him may not be entirely reliable, we can gather that he is a bit shallow between his disposition toward Avery when hiring him and how he promoted Rose to be a projectionist despite Sam having seniority and the two being equally qualified. There is a sense of "blame games" that Sam and Rose play when things do not go their way, where as Avery does his best to do the right thing and correct the mistakes he has made.
This play is unique in how it captures the emotions of human desire in a fast changing world. We see the world changing from projectors to digital filming and with everything going on in 2020, the movie theater is now an endangered species in favor of a direct subscription program. I personally have not been to the movie theaters since 2013 and I must say that the one thing I miss is movie theater popcorn. Everything else I could get from the comfort of my own home, including a pause button for when I have to use the bathroom after having addressed my thirst following the consumption of so much salty popcorn. I digress. Anyway, the subjects in this play are perfectly flawed, but at the same time their actions reflect an accuracy to a lot of people in their circumstances in some way, shape, or form. It is also pretty accurate that they use the word "like" to connect pauses, which is quite common among today's speakers.
Sam and Rose certainly have their issues, which becomes evident as the play progresses, but this play also addresses those issues and makes clear about how people's decisions do have consequences. Avery is just someone you feel a sense of sympathy for, given his hardships and what he has made out of them. It is nearly evident that he is depressed and a good guess could be made that he is neurodivergent, likely on the spectrum. Annie Baker has written about a character on the spectrum in another play of hers called "Body Awareness."
The Flick is a play that is worth checking out. It is well laid out so that watching it as a performance would be quite intriguing. It also speaks to the millennial audience in its language and how relatable it can be to that particular generation. In some way, shape, or form, we long for nostalgia and look back at the things that made us happy. Reboots and throwbacks are quenching this desire for those that crave it. The Flick speaks of this and any other kind of sacred cheese that their subjects long for, regardless of their attitude and circumstance.
June 8, 2019
everyone is an asshole in this and that's great
March 24, 2021
Sasvim solidno skrojen komad o troje radnika u bioskopu pred zatvaranjem.
Njihovo scensko postojanje obeleženo je redovima sedišta i đubretom. I zanimljivo je to izokretanje: dok se posetiocima bioskopa doživljaj završava samim gledanjem filma, ono što je prava predstava sledi tek nakon projekcije. Ta izmena fokusa upućuje na tolike propuštene drame. Umesto što scenske doživljaje povezujemo samo sa performativnim prostorima i kontekstima koji ih obuhvataju, retko kad razmišljamo o „dramama u prolazu”: kako npr. pati neko u trafici, pekari, autobusu ili benzinskoj pumpi? Ili kakve drame, naročito danas, proživljava neko ko radi kao medicinski tehničar?
Ipak, da se ne stekne pogrešan utisak, ovo nije socijalna drama. Junaci Eni Bejker nisu predodređeni svojim društvenim statusom, koliko ragranatim unutrašnjim nemirima skrivenim iza svojevrsnog pojednostavljenog pogleda na svet. Dok čiste svakojako đubre ostavljeno nakon projekcije, postepeno postaju svesni kako njihova psiha nije očistljiva bioskopska dvorana i da iz nje nema izlaza. Dok srce kuca, film traje.
Boreći se sa samima sobom, tumarajući po zamračenom otpadu, junaci se suočavaju sa sopstvenom nemoću i nesamostalnošću, (potisnutom) seksualnošću, suicidalnim mislima, osobama sa smetnjama u razvoju i nečim što nije epohalni bezizlaz, već jedna opštepoznata letargija koja se u kosti uvuče. A iako su krajnje savremeni, likovi prepoznatljivi iz svakodnevice, oni su i deo jednog nestajućeg sveta, gde je ni filmska traka nije uspela da se otrgne čeljusti digitalnog sveta.
I tako, malo po malo, u navali opštila, sve više se udaljavamo jedni od drugih i jedino su pravi kontakti mogući u pukotinama, u nestajućim svetovima, među kokicama i đubretom.
Uzgred, nije važno da li je to namer(a)no ili ne, ali u komadu možemo pronaći odjeke Čehova i Beketa. To jesu tanane, ali veze koje ne treba zanemariti, jer pokazuju s kakvim dramskim autorom imamo posla. Voleo bih ovo da gledam na našim scenama.
Njihovo scensko postojanje obeleženo je redovima sedišta i đubretom. I zanimljivo je to izokretanje: dok se posetiocima bioskopa doživljaj završava samim gledanjem filma, ono što je prava predstava sledi tek nakon projekcije. Ta izmena fokusa upućuje na tolike propuštene drame. Umesto što scenske doživljaje povezujemo samo sa performativnim prostorima i kontekstima koji ih obuhvataju, retko kad razmišljamo o „dramama u prolazu”: kako npr. pati neko u trafici, pekari, autobusu ili benzinskoj pumpi? Ili kakve drame, naročito danas, proživljava neko ko radi kao medicinski tehničar?
Ipak, da se ne stekne pogrešan utisak, ovo nije socijalna drama. Junaci Eni Bejker nisu predodređeni svojim društvenim statusom, koliko ragranatim unutrašnjim nemirima skrivenim iza svojevrsnog pojednostavljenog pogleda na svet. Dok čiste svakojako đubre ostavljeno nakon projekcije, postepeno postaju svesni kako njihova psiha nije očistljiva bioskopska dvorana i da iz nje nema izlaza. Dok srce kuca, film traje.
Boreći se sa samima sobom, tumarajući po zamračenom otpadu, junaci se suočavaju sa sopstvenom nemoću i nesamostalnošću, (potisnutom) seksualnošću, suicidalnim mislima, osobama sa smetnjama u razvoju i nečim što nije epohalni bezizlaz, već jedna opštepoznata letargija koja se u kosti uvuče. A iako su krajnje savremeni, likovi prepoznatljivi iz svakodnevice, oni su i deo jednog nestajućeg sveta, gde je ni filmska traka nije uspela da se otrgne čeljusti digitalnog sveta.
I tako, malo po malo, u navali opštila, sve više se udaljavamo jedni od drugih i jedino su pravi kontakti mogući u pukotinama, u nestajućim svetovima, među kokicama i đubretom.
Uzgred, nije važno da li je to namer(a)no ili ne, ali u komadu možemo pronaći odjeke Čehova i Beketa. To jesu tanane, ali veze koje ne treba zanemariti, jer pokazuju s kakvim dramskim autorom imamo posla. Voleo bih ovo da gledam na našim scenama.
June 4, 2018
as a very anxious person who also uses movies as a way to cope with and avoid the stresses of the real world, this hit home a little too much. i will never think about any mundane conversation i have with people in the same way again.
June 29, 2019
Nothing much happens in this Pulitzer price awarded play. Of course I liked the cinema setting and the name-dropping of many famous and not so famous films. Usually I'd love to see a play on stage but here I'm not sure. I fear the many pauses would annoy me over time. But reading was a nice experience.. A quick but somehow deep glimpse into the lives of three people and what effects digital changes bring to them/all of our lives.
September 16, 2018
planned on flipping through a few pgs before doing homework, ended up reading in one uninterrupted sitting. desperately flipped through the five-odd blank post-text pages in the false hope that the words “end of play” weren’t true.
January 30, 2022
As the story slowly unravels, we are gradually presented with something that we must follow, second by second. The time is open whereas the place is closed.
Characters are very well developed especially the main character who is presented with three levels of conflicts; his behavior and attitude shows us he's struggling with something in his mind, and in the scene when he's talking on the phone, his inner conflict is indicated more clearly. Although we don't know the reason of his condition yet. Interacting with colleagues and especially Sam, reveals another level of conflict, interpersonal conflict. And in a larger picture while dealing with the new owner of the movie theater, and his work related situation (as a metaphor for the society) the third level of conflict- extrapersonal conflict- is also depicted. Choosing a cinema as the work place, which is the single setting of the play, is a clever idea to symbolize the society. Dialogues are very well written and the interactions between people are both intriguing and revealing. "Dinner money" is a good set up in the fist act. Although the pay-off could be predictable to some extent, it makes an impressive moment in the second act and simultaneously functions as the climax of the narrative. The ending is wonderful. Avery says what he has to, and then there's this moment when Sam is trying to engage him again, the pause, the silence and the waiting all work well, making the audience more curious to know how this new Avery, who has become a different version of himself, would react. But still being Avery, he surely comes back, finishes that little familiar game but it's different this time, it's not even slightly like the ones we observed before, but Sam might be oblivious to some extent.
Characters are very well developed especially the main character who is presented with three levels of conflicts; his behavior and attitude shows us he's struggling with something in his mind, and in the scene when he's talking on the phone, his inner conflict is indicated more clearly. Although we don't know the reason of his condition yet. Interacting with colleagues and especially Sam, reveals another level of conflict, interpersonal conflict. And in a larger picture while dealing with the new owner of the movie theater, and his work related situation (as a metaphor for the society) the third level of conflict- extrapersonal conflict- is also depicted. Choosing a cinema as the work place, which is the single setting of the play, is a clever idea to symbolize the society. Dialogues are very well written and the interactions between people are both intriguing and revealing. "Dinner money" is a good set up in the fist act. Although the pay-off could be predictable to some extent, it makes an impressive moment in the second act and simultaneously functions as the climax of the narrative. The ending is wonderful. Avery says what he has to, and then there's this moment when Sam is trying to engage him again, the pause, the silence and the waiting all work well, making the audience more curious to know how this new Avery, who has become a different version of himself, would react. But still being Avery, he surely comes back, finishes that little familiar game but it's different this time, it's not even slightly like the ones we observed before, but Sam might be oblivious to some extent.
February 5, 2017
Wow, okay. I'm still trying to formulate my thoughts about this play because I enjoyed it so much. It's incredibly thought provoking and harrowing in its representation of mental illness and race (even though the mentions are subtle). I absolutely adored Avery as a character, in fact, I loved all of the characters. Each one was carefully crafted and incredibly diverse, even if I didn't necessarily like them as people. Annie Baker really understands the nuances of how people talk and act with one another which I really enjoyed.
I do wish that a few more details had been tied up, overall. For example, Avery and his dreams, Avery and his therapist, what actually happened to Rose and why is she the way she is, what happens to Sam. That's why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5, but I adored this.
I'm so glad that I took this theatre class because I never would have known about this story if I hadn't.
I do wish that a few more details had been tied up, overall. For example, Avery and his dreams, Avery and his therapist, what actually happened to Rose and why is she the way she is, what happens to Sam. That's why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5, but I adored this.
I'm so glad that I took this theatre class because I never would have known about this story if I hadn't.
August 20, 2023
Read this as a table read with Lindsey. Need avery’s letterboxd.
April 2, 2024
ummm OUCH?? That ending fucking hurt.
April 26, 2024
One of the most extremely made-for-me texts in recent memory— I too feel this emotionally attached to movies and it is no joke!!!— and ultimately I really loved it as a portrait of this acute loneliness and the people/co-workers with whom you share it. I feel like I would’ve appreciated it more seeing it live, but the writing is novelistic enough to picture it as a typical novel written in an unconventional way. Avatar is a good movie!!!! Sort of.
August 26, 2025
I read this at work between directing new sixth formers to their subject locations and had to take regular breaks to avoid tearing up at shit that is not even the kind of thing that seems intended to provoke tears or has an ounce of sentimentality because it is just that fucking good. Annie Bakers writing is wild and intensely empathetic. For me (in comparison to a couple of her other more recent plays I’ve seen) the normalcy of the Flick’s setting elevated its power. I love this play.
June 21, 2021
I don't really want to be one of those people who starts their review with "When *I* worked at a movie theater..." but alas. The theater I worked in had twenty screens, but the intimacy that Baker captures here (and in all her plays) feels deeply familiar. It's the intimacy of a single space, of repetition, of conversations that stretch across silent minutes, across hours and days.
I know this sounds silly, but as I sit here trying to explain how it feels to be those ushers (the sticky dark of sweeping the theater alone, the shadowy hush of the projection booth, even the urge Skylar has to touch the screen), I feel kind of sick with remembering. I'll just say this: Some of the most important and intense relationships I had as a teenager formed during conversations over dustbins and those stupid little brooms. The space felt -- still feels -- somehow sacred.
And I don't talk to a single one of those people anymore.
Which is, of course, part of the play's point.
Praise be Annie Baker.
I know this sounds silly, but as I sit here trying to explain how it feels to be those ushers (the sticky dark of sweeping the theater alone, the shadowy hush of the projection booth, even the urge Skylar has to touch the screen), I feel kind of sick with remembering. I'll just say this: Some of the most important and intense relationships I had as a teenager formed during conversations over dustbins and those stupid little brooms. The space felt -- still feels -- somehow sacred.
And I don't talk to a single one of those people anymore.
Which is, of course, part of the play's point.
Praise be Annie Baker.
Read
December 3, 2022doing scene work from this play
December 27, 2020
Saw this play this weekend. At first, I was highly concerned with the director's choice to incorporate prolonged silences into the work. But, upon reading excerpts of the play, it seems these were all prescribed by the playwright, turning the work into three hours of tedium.
The characters were disjointed and not compelling. Also, if the theme was to preserve authenticity in our modern age and to put a magnifying glass on the boredom of every day menial labor, there are elegant ways to present these themes without putting the audience through that boredom.
Regarding the theme of authenticity, look to "Birdman" as an example of how to explore the theme in a much more compelling way.
On a positive note, the actors' performances were spot on. But this was not enough to carry an audience through a three hour seemingly endless experience.
The characters were disjointed and not compelling. Also, if the theme was to preserve authenticity in our modern age and to put a magnifying glass on the boredom of every day menial labor, there are elegant ways to present these themes without putting the audience through that boredom.
Regarding the theme of authenticity, look to "Birdman" as an example of how to explore the theme in a much more compelling way.
On a positive note, the actors' performances were spot on. But this was not enough to carry an audience through a three hour seemingly endless experience.
September 10, 2014
This has won so many awards and prizes, including this year's Pulitzer for Drama, that I needed to read it - despite not being terribly impressed with any of Ms. Baker's previous efforts - including her inexplicably popular 'Circle Mirror Transformation'. Nothing ever much 'happens' in any of her plays, yet she creates a very naturalistic world and characters who have all the normal foibles and heartaches we all do. Here she focuses on three young people working dead end jobs at a rundown movie palace, slated for transition from 35 mm to digital projection, symbolic of the dehumanizing effect of encroaching technology on us all.
June 12, 2018
This was super fun, well paced and exciting, emotionally engaging, basically a perfect play and I loved it.
June 27, 2024
After watching Annie Baker's first film, Janet Planet, I immediately purchased several of her plays. I loved The Flick, a beautiful, understated, penumbral drama. The play is set in a dilapidated independent movie theater where the ceiling tiles are collapsing down and the customers are constantly leaving food scraps on the floor. Feces are sometimes smeared on the bathroom wall. The play involves a small cast of menial workers: Sam is a thirty-five-year old cleaner at the cinema; Rose is a short-haired, no-make-up provocateur who manages the film projector; and Avery, who has just joined the team, is a college student and film connoisseur—the son of a professor, with a full scholarship, but, as one of the few African Americans somewhere in Wooster County, MA, he is repeatedly confronted with soft racism and has to reckon with prejudice about him (as lazy, late, thieving). Each night, Sam and Avery sweep the floors clean.
Resentment simmers throughout the play—Sam is jealous that Rose gets to work the projector while he has been overlooked for years; Rose thinks that Avery has it easy as a scholarship boy while she is still paying off her student debt. It's clear that each of the characters has a complex background and deeper grievances. Rose thinks that Sam is a weirdo but, as the play unfolds, we learn that he has been forced to live in the attic of parents' home and that his brother suffers from a severe mental disability and was institutionalized; Rose at first seems standoffish and aggressive but she eventually confesses to Avery that she thinks she is unable to fall in love with anyone for more than four months and is only capable of fantasizing about herself sexually, a pathological autophile and nymphomaniac; Avery, meanwhile, turns mute and lifeless when Rose starts to kiss and touch him (is he still processing the fact that his mother left his father for another man? Is he worried about how a black man might be perceived with a white woman? Or, as Rose asks, is he gay? Avery doesn't answer these questions but keeps his eyes fixed on the cinema screen). For all of them, the cinema is both a soul-sapping, humiliating workplace but the screen is still magical. They love films, they love the hidden sanctum of the projector room, and they sublimate the hardships of their own lives into the alternative reality of Hollywood film.
It's a beautiful play that leaves much of the undercurrent drama unsaid.
Resentment simmers throughout the play—Sam is jealous that Rose gets to work the projector while he has been overlooked for years; Rose thinks that Avery has it easy as a scholarship boy while she is still paying off her student debt. It's clear that each of the characters has a complex background and deeper grievances. Rose thinks that Sam is a weirdo but, as the play unfolds, we learn that he has been forced to live in the attic of parents' home and that his brother suffers from a severe mental disability and was institutionalized; Rose at first seems standoffish and aggressive but she eventually confesses to Avery that she thinks she is unable to fall in love with anyone for more than four months and is only capable of fantasizing about herself sexually, a pathological autophile and nymphomaniac; Avery, meanwhile, turns mute and lifeless when Rose starts to kiss and touch him (is he still processing the fact that his mother left his father for another man? Is he worried about how a black man might be perceived with a white woman? Or, as Rose asks, is he gay? Avery doesn't answer these questions but keeps his eyes fixed on the cinema screen). For all of them, the cinema is both a soul-sapping, humiliating workplace but the screen is still magical. They love films, they love the hidden sanctum of the projector room, and they sublimate the hardships of their own lives into the alternative reality of Hollywood film.
It's a beautiful play that leaves much of the undercurrent drama unsaid.
February 19, 2025
I’m getting war flashbacks to working at an indie movie theater, some of this hit too close to home in a cringey (but comforting?) way.
January 8, 2019
I've done a lot of acting. I've read a lot of plays, mostly for my own enjoyment. Few are the plays I've read all the way through in one day because I'm so spellbound by them. Kristoffer Diaz's The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity was the most recent, and now Annie Baker's The Flick joins the list. Baker's writing is understated, gracefully funny, and the three main characters fully realized. I got choked up and I laughed out loud, sometimes within less than a page's time. I've read that a stage production of this show is three hours long, but after reading the script, I can't imagine a second of it is wasted air.
The Flick is about movies, yes (and there's a lot of comedic mileage taken from film in-jokes), but it's about authenticity, too. Avery's fixation on the film projector is the clearest example of this, but other touches - like Rose's astrology book - underscore this theme as well. It's a human, deeply felt exploration of what it means to be an authentic, honest person. It also includes arguably the most emotionally-resonant rendition of Samuel L. Jackson's "Ezekiel 25:17" monologue from Pulp Fiction to ever grace a stage. So, like, that's bonus points right there. If you're at all interested in modern theatre, The Flick is an absolute must read.
The Flick is about movies, yes (and there's a lot of comedic mileage taken from film in-jokes), but it's about authenticity, too. Avery's fixation on the film projector is the clearest example of this, but other touches - like Rose's astrology book - underscore this theme as well. It's a human, deeply felt exploration of what it means to be an authentic, honest person. It also includes arguably the most emotionally-resonant rendition of Samuel L. Jackson's "Ezekiel 25:17" monologue from Pulp Fiction to ever grace a stage. So, like, that's bonus points right there. If you're at all interested in modern theatre, The Flick is an absolute must read.
February 28, 2022
running up again on the difficulty of reading instead of watching these plays. A lot of pausing in this one and as much as i tried to pause when directed i think i failed too often for the desired effect to occur.
Even so I thought this was a very satisfying character study, and frank account of the pain of loving something that no one else seems to value. in particular i enjoyed the half-realizations most of the character have about their lives, the way they almost diagnose and resolve their issues, but miss the mark by like 50% rung true to me.
its tough out there everybody! keep swimming!
Even so I thought this was a very satisfying character study, and frank account of the pain of loving something that no one else seems to value. in particular i enjoyed the half-realizations most of the character have about their lives, the way they almost diagnose and resolve their issues, but miss the mark by like 50% rung true to me.
its tough out there everybody! keep swimming!
July 27, 2022
Just as brilliant - the second read
June 3, 2024
i am in my play era apparently
this made me so sad, it was so human
this made me so sad, it was so human
February 18, 2022
My roommate who is smart and knowledgeable and works in theater doesn’t love this playwright so I went in knowing only negativity but I really really liked it! Question for the public when you read plays do you imagine the story the way you would a novel or do you picture the stage production in your head? For me it depends on the show but for this one I definitely pictured it as a Play and not Real Life. Even so, I thought it was such a perfect depiction of what it’s like to banter at a menial job. The weird thing about coworkers is that your conversations are a mix of the most banal things ever, like the constant rounds of six degrees of separation in the play, and then talking about your intense personal issues that you wouldn’t even tell your close friends about. I’ve never worked in a movie theater, but restaurants are like this and I feel similarly working in a bookstore talking about media the way these movie nerds talk. I have said things to people I’ll never see again while rolling silverware that a therapist could never get out of me lmao. I thought this was excellent. I can so perfectly picture each character. The differing life stages of each character, with Sam being 35 which seems completely ancient to the 20 year old Avery, and Rose who is in between. Every job I’ve ever been at has all 3. I’ve been Avery, I am currently Rose, the jury’s still out on if I’ll end up a Sam.
Avery, the 20 year old cinephile, tells his therapist about a dream he has where in order to get into heaven a giant list of every movie he's ever seen is consulted…..I will be contemplating this….I wonder if my Goodreads or Letterboxd would qualify me for heaven or not.........This is off topic but I have this whole philosophy that you need 3 hobby/interest aspects to feel happy/fulfilled: one thing you do, one thing you create, and one thing you consume. And that could be encompassed by one thing. Like if you are into music and you love to listen and be a fan that checks the Consume box, and you play an instrument or or sing or whatever that covers the Do, and if you compose that covers Create. But some people only have one of those aspects, like I know people who enjoy singing but don’t like to write songs. Obviously all these aspects can blur and inform one another. Mine are all separate: I like to dance even though I’m not someone who watches a ton or even knows that much about the dance world, I do not like to choreograph or express creativity through dance. So dance is my thing I do. Secondly I love to read, but I’ve never had an interest in making up a story or anything, so that’s my Consume. Lastly for me Create is knitting and crocheting. The Avery dream of being judged solely on what you consume reminded me of the whole “You are what you look at” refrain from the book Flights by Olga Tokarzcuk. We are all comprised of things we take in, from experiences to people we meet to media we consume. And I guess I am also guilty of judging people if I don’t like the media they consume. Idk just squaring the idea that Being and Consuming are equivalent doesn’t sit right with me but then I know that the things I consume are absolutely a big part of my identity and for many people it’s literally the core of their identity. The avatar argument was highly relatable
The play was just great at showing each character’s personal hang ups even if we only get snippets, like the bits of conversation we hear from Avery talking to his therapist. I do wish we got to find out a little more about Rose but her mystique is part of what makes her alluring. This play has it all there’s racial and gender dynamics and love interests and dealing with mental illness and a family with an intellectual disability and unrequited love and confusing sexual moments and the heartbreak of being left behind in time while capital marches onwards and upwards and betrayal and self interest and it’s all so compact and doesn’t feel heavy handed! I totally loved it. It really seemed like real life, even tho the characters say “like” too much, but I know if you shock collared me for every time I say “like” I would be like buzz buzz buzz
They should’ve Unionized smh though I guess the Avery situation with the Dinner Money Pirsoner’s Dilemma showed that the characters were too self interested to have solidarity with one another
Avery, the 20 year old cinephile, tells his therapist about a dream he has where in order to get into heaven a giant list of every movie he's ever seen is consulted…..I will be contemplating this….I wonder if my Goodreads or Letterboxd would qualify me for heaven or not.........This is off topic but I have this whole philosophy that you need 3 hobby/interest aspects to feel happy/fulfilled: one thing you do, one thing you create, and one thing you consume. And that could be encompassed by one thing. Like if you are into music and you love to listen and be a fan that checks the Consume box, and you play an instrument or or sing or whatever that covers the Do, and if you compose that covers Create. But some people only have one of those aspects, like I know people who enjoy singing but don’t like to write songs. Obviously all these aspects can blur and inform one another. Mine are all separate: I like to dance even though I’m not someone who watches a ton or even knows that much about the dance world, I do not like to choreograph or express creativity through dance. So dance is my thing I do. Secondly I love to read, but I’ve never had an interest in making up a story or anything, so that’s my Consume. Lastly for me Create is knitting and crocheting. The Avery dream of being judged solely on what you consume reminded me of the whole “You are what you look at” refrain from the book Flights by Olga Tokarzcuk. We are all comprised of things we take in, from experiences to people we meet to media we consume. And I guess I am also guilty of judging people if I don’t like the media they consume. Idk just squaring the idea that Being and Consuming are equivalent doesn’t sit right with me but then I know that the things I consume are absolutely a big part of my identity and for many people it’s literally the core of their identity. The avatar argument was highly relatable
The play was just great at showing each character’s personal hang ups even if we only get snippets, like the bits of conversation we hear from Avery talking to his therapist. I do wish we got to find out a little more about Rose but her mystique is part of what makes her alluring. This play has it all there’s racial and gender dynamics and love interests and dealing with mental illness and a family with an intellectual disability and unrequited love and confusing sexual moments and the heartbreak of being left behind in time while capital marches onwards and upwards and betrayal and self interest and it’s all so compact and doesn’t feel heavy handed! I totally loved it. It really seemed like real life, even tho the characters say “like” too much, but I know if you shock collared me for every time I say “like” I would be like buzz buzz buzz
They should’ve Unionized smh though I guess the Avery situation with the Dinner Money Pirsoner’s Dilemma showed that the characters were too self interested to have solidarity with one another
September 24, 2021
بین خوندن کتاب چاه بابل از قاسمی یه گذری به دنیای نمایشنامه زدم. این نمایشنامه رو دوستم معرفی کرده بود؛ درونمایهاش سکس، دروغ، اعتماد و تعرض بود. نمایشنامهی خوبی بود دیالوگها خوب نوشته شده بودن. تعداد شخصیتهای نمایشنامه سه تا بود که شامل دختری ۲۰ و چند ساله به اسم رز، مردی ۳۵ ساله به اسم سم و مردی ۲۲ ساله به اسم ایوری کل نمایش تو یه سینمای قدیمی اتفاق میافته اتفاقات عجیب این سه نفر رو به هم پیوند داده و مقولهی روابط انسانی و جنسی رو بررسی میکنه نویسنده.
October 1, 2024
wowwwww wow wow wow
November 16, 2025
This was lovely, a quick read. I think I just love reading plays!
The cinema setting, the employer conflict, the unrequited emotions, it all worked so well.
The cinema setting, the employer conflict, the unrequited emotions, it all worked so well.
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