Routed

Intending only to fill in for a few days, Clark quickly develops a manic enthusiasm for the job, and is even able to take revenge on his former boss (who is on the route) by tearing the comics page out of his newspaper

Turning aside his wife's pleas that he look for another job, and ignoring his son's readiness to take the route over again, Clark stubbornly plunges on until the supervisor of the newspaper company informs him that his services are no longer required

The crisis reached, Clark turns against his family and, in the disturbing, yet touching denouement of the play, tries to wrest the delivery bag away from his son by force, only, once again, to be done in by circumstances, from within and without, which he cannot control or, sad to say, fully comprehend

Created as a companion piece for Stops Along the Way, this highly imaginative and very funny play employs the simplest of theatrical means to explore the plight of an unemployed suburbanite who finds solace in taking over his son's newspaper route

Presented by New York's Ensemble Studio Theatre as part of its celebrated One-Act Play Marathon