Summary

Act One begins on September 29, 2008 in Reading, Pennsylvania. It is the day of the largest stock market decline in history, with Dow Jones falling 778.68 points. Jason, a white 29-year-old, is meeting with his parole officer, Evan, an African-American man in his forties. Jason’s face is marked up with fresh bruises and white supremacist tattoos.

Evan inquires about Jason’s new job; he was recently hired to make pretzels. They exchange a series of routine questions regarding Jason’s work and home life. The audience learns that the ex-convict is currently living in a shelter. It does not take long before Evan directly asks Jason about his black eye. Jason tries to evade the question, but Evan quickly responds by threatening to report his resistance. Jason reluctantly begins to explain his recent conflict during a night at Loco’s, when a large...