America

The United States of America, with its recent history of a complicated, confrontational election campaign and deepening rifts (between rich and poor; between white and non-white; between conservative and liberal), is the overall, broad-strokes setting for this play. The particular experience of American blue-collar workers, caught in the middle of an economic reconfiguration of a scope broader than that which can be effectively discussed here, is the particular circumstance of the Blake family, the members of which are the play's central characters.

New York City

New York, one of the most populous, well-known, and idealized cities in America, is the primary community setting for the play. There are several aspects of its identity that play particularly important roles: its reputation as a center of opportunity, and its being the site of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil (9/11) are the most significant.

The Apartment

The action of the...