perfect arrangement
a play in two acts
4 F / 3 m
It’s 1950, and new colors are being added to the Red Scare. Two U.S. State Department employees, Bob and Norma, have been tasked with identifying sexual deviants within their ranks. There’s just one problem: Both Bob and Norma are gay, and have married each other’s partners as a carefully constructed cover. Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement, madcap classic sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two “All-American” couples are forced to stare down the closet door.
Process Theatre Co
Atlanta, Georgia
Workshop Production, 2009
Source Festival
Washington, DC
World Premiere, 2013
Out North
Anchorage, Alaska
2014
Pandora Productions
Louisville, Kentucky
2014
Process Theatre Co
Atlanta, Georgia
2014
Primary Stages
in association with
MARS Theatricals
New York, New York
Off-Broadway Premiere
2015
Concordia College
Moorhead, Minnesota
2016
Richmond Triangle Players
Richmond, Virginia
2016
Island City Stage
Wilton Manors, Florida
2016
Camille Playhouse
Brownsville, Texas
2016
Vermont Pride Theatre
Burlington, Vermont
2017
Intrepid Theatre Co
San Diego, California
2017
ReAct Theatre
Seattle, Washington
2017
Stage Q
Madison, Wisconsin
2017
Source Festival
Washington, DC
2017
Evolution Theatre
Columbus, Ohio
2017
Pride Films & Plays
Chicago, Illinois
2017
Raleigh Little Theatre
Raleigh, North Carolina
2017
Playhouse on the Square
Memphis, Tennessee
2018
Theatrical Outfit
Atlanta, Georgia
2018
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
2018
Springer Opera House
Columbus, Georgia
2018
Uptown Players
Dallas, Texas
2018
Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble
Fredericksburg, Virginia
2018
An Other Theatre
Provo, Utah
2018
R-S Theatrics
St. Louis, Missouri
2018
Dezart Performs
Palm Springs, California
2019
Freefall Theatre
St. Petersburg, Florida
2019
Greenbelt Arts Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
2019
Canisius College
Buffalo, New York
2019
University of Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
2019
Brookfield Theatre for the Arts
Brookfield, Connecticut
2019
The Barn Theatre
Port Sanilac, Michigan
2019
Soka University of America
Aliso Viejo, California
2019
Silver Spring Stage
Silver Spring, Maryland
2020
Surrey Little Theatre
Surrey, British Columbia
2020
"[A] clever canapé of a comedy... Mr. Payne is a deft and witty writer."
- The New York Times
“As hiding gets harder, pitch-perfect comedy ensues: slamming doors, strange disguises, preposterous excuses [….] Eventually, the four must decide whether face-saving domestic lies are worth it, or whether ostracism beats living in fear. In our own era of surveillance and paranoia, their mid-century problems don’t feel so far away.” - The New Yorker
"This is truly what a play should be. Thought-provoking, but with loads of laughs, this terrific show strikes the perfect balance between harsh social criticism and comedy." - Triangle Arts & Entertainment
"Usually a playwright has to choose between writing a laugh-out-loud comedy and a very serious drama. Topher Payne has written both with Perfect Arrangement." - TheatreMania
"The best thing about Topher Payne’s fabulous Perfect Arrangement is its pitch-perfect capture of the 1950s comic voice, and its application to the dreadfully serious drama." - DC Theatre Scene
"Introduces audiences to a piece of theatre where tragedy and farce wrap around each other like strands of DNA. It's two distinct plays telling the same hilarious and heartbreaking story... Perfect Arrangement drags history out of the closet." - Memphis Flyer
Winner, 2014 M Elizabeth Osborn Prize
Nominee, 2017 Lambda Literary Awards: LGBTQ Drama
2018 Suzi Bass Awards
Nominee, Outstanding Production of a Play
Nominee, Outstanding Ensemble Cast
Nominee, Outstanding Costume Design, Linda Patterson
2018 Jeff Awards
Nominee, Performer in a Supporting Role, Kelli Harrington (Barbara Grant)
2017 Carbonell Awards
Nominee, Best Supporting Actress, Christina Groom (Kitty Sunderson)
Winner, Best Costume Design, Peter A. Lovello
Nominee, Best Sound Design, David Hart
2015 Suzi Bass Awards
Winner, Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award
2015 Metropolitan Atlanta Theatre Awards
Winner, Best Play
Winner, Best Ensemble
Winner, Moira Thornett Director's Award, DeWayne Morgan
Nominee, Leading Actor, Larry Davis (Bob Martindale)
Winner, Leading Actress, Barbara Cole-Uterhardt (Millie Martindale)
Nominee, Leading Actress, Kristin Kalbli (Norma Baxter)
Winner, Major Supporting Actor, Bryan Lee (Jim Baxter)
Nominee, Major Supporting Actress, Amanda Cucher (Barbara Grant)
Winner, Minor Supporting Actor, Charles Green (Theodore Sunderson)
Winner, Minor Supporting Actress, Karen Whitaker (Kitty Sunderson)
Nominee, Scenic Design, Nadia Morgan
Winner, Costume Design, Nikki Thomas
Winner, Lighting Design, Elisabeth Cooper
Nominee, Sound Design, Charlie Miller