When audience members step into Theater Alliance’s theater space, they are immediately confronted by a full-scale green and white trash truck with glowing headlights. Bulky black bags, discarded bird cages, and an old mattress litter the rest of the stage — in addition to other bits and bags of garbage, partially contributed by theatergoers for the production. I felt too close to the truck and the trash on stage, almost at my feet. But that discomfort is exactly the point.
Written by Lindsay Joelle and directed by Shanara Gabrielle, The Garbologists follows the unfolding of an unlikely friendship between two New York City sanitation department workers: a highly educated African American woman named Marlowe (Yesenia Iglesias) and a blue-collar, recently divorced white man named Danny (Chris Genebach). Danny has been wearing his DSNY uniform for nine years, but the show begins on Marlowe’s first day in the truck. When Marlowe reveals early on that she graduated with two degrees from Columbia, she prompts the audience and Danny to ask why she is there. Those questions build as the show moves beyond the surface into the characters’ lives, little by little.
The regional debut of The Garbologists uses an expertly designed set and strong acting to confront the audience with the messiness of human life, uncovering the hope of friendship in a chaotic and disordered world.
Theater Alliance repurposes a vacant retail space at 340 Maple Drive SW for this intimate show, which brings the audience face-to-face with parts of life they would rather not see. The garbage truck, designed by Jonathan Dahm Robertson, features what appears to be a functioning trash compactor as well as personal details like a child’s drawing pinned in the inside of the cab. The whole truck rotates between scenes to change location and indicate passage of time, lending a dynamic element to an otherwise tight, static space.
While the two characters clean up the snowy streets of New York City, they must confront the messiness of their own lives and learn to find commonality — and even friendship — despite their differences. This friendship is bred through manual labor, shared moments of tears and laughter, and the common pain of loss.
Iglesias, as Marlowe, plays a self-assured, confident, but deeply wounded woman. She is quick to defend herself, lashes out at Danny, and wants to be left alone. Over the course of the play, she softens and becomes more likeable as she opens up to her coworker.
Genebach, as Danny, contrasts in almost every way with his partner: he mansplains, makes dad jokes, and lives by a string of maxims and “house rules.” But as the show progresses, his gruff exterior gives way to reveal a sensitive and protective father who cares about his job and his son.
As the show’s only two actors, Iglesias and Genebach play off each other well in a spirited and increasingly natural back-and-forth. The action of lifting, lugging, and tossing bags into the truck keeps the energy high as the characters wrestle with the garbage and with themselves in a desperate attempt to understand one another. The play begins as a comedy — and is genuinely funny in its first moments — but quickly becomes dramatic when Marlowe breaks down in one scene and reveals more about her past. As the stage clears of trash, the relationship between the two moves from hesitant coworkers to true friends who draw out the best in each other.
The friendship evolves through conflict, which feels overwhelming at times.
While the almost constant verbal conflict between the actors supports the struggle to connect across boundaries, the tension lacks a depth and subtlety that could make the performance more effective. Discomfort is good, but the emotional rollercoaster of two people having shouting matches again and again can become grating.
The humorous scenes, though, are genuinely funny — largely thanks to Genebach’s antics. (Note that the play contains adult content that may be confusing for younger audiences.)
The costume design by Jeannette Christensen, lighting by Alberto Segarra, sound by Madeline “Mo” Oslejsek, and props by Isabel Simoes Decarvalho all fit with the show’s task of bringing the audience into the day-to-day world of NYC sanitation department workers. The story was largely inspired by interviews with DSNY workers conducted by the playwright, and details of the script and the set reflect an in-depth knowledge of the job. Displays in the lobby help set the scene by offering insight into the life and lingo of these vital workers.
According to the director, audiences should leave The Garbologists with more questions than answers. The show achieved this goal by directing attention to the individual stories, pains, and joys of two apparently different and overlooked members of society. The Garbologists shows how individual human lives are beautifully and intricately intertwined in ways we easily ignore. The show prompts the audience to look beyond first impressions, to ask questions, and to find common ground with people in their everyday lives they may not otherwise think of as friends. Everyone has a life to live and a story to tell. As Danny tells Marlowe in one scene: “Just because we pick up trash, that don’t make us garbage.”
Running Time: 80 minutes with no intermission.
The Garbologists plays through February 23, 2025, presented by Theater Alliance performing at The Westerly, 340 Maple Drive SW, Washington, DC. Tickets ($40) are available online, from the box office at boxoffice@theateralliance.com, or at (202) 241-2539.
The program for The Garbologists is online here.
COVID Safety: Masks are optional.
The Garbologists
By Lindsay Joelle
Directed by Shanara Gabrielle
CAST
Danny (Chris Genebach)
Marlowe (Yesenia Iglesias)
CREATIVE TEAM
Playwright (Lindsay Joelle)
Director (Shanara Gabrielle)
Scenic Designer (Jonathan Dahn Robertson)
Lighting Designer (Alberto Segarra)
Sound Designer (Madeline “Mo” Oslejsek)
Props Designer (Isabel Simoes Decarvalho)
Asst. Director/Dramaturg (Theo Yu)
PRODUCTION TEAM
Stage Manager (Regina Vitale)
Assistant Stage Manager (Niki Sears)
Wardrobe Supervisor (Nyasha Klusmann)
Lighting Supervisor (Ben Harvey)
Audio Supervisor (Allison Pearson)
