Survival of the Unfit | World Premiere

Samuel is a 38-year-old substitute teacher/Uber Driver/supermarket bagger/hair stylist, still living at home with his parents. On this night, like many others in the past, he is bringing home his latest love interest to meet his parents and gain their approval. John, a doting father and failed poet, and Shirley, the bread winner and hyper-critical mother, offer up their own insight as to why their only child refuses to leave the nest, but it is only when Samuel’s new girlfriend shows up that we really come to understand the underlying dysfunction that has held him back from growing up. Survival of the Unfit touches on themes of love, loss, loyalty, and coming to accept others for their shortcomings. It is also a play that redefines what family means.

By Oren Safdie