The thought of the private school Kindergarten admissions process makes most parents cringe. However, Greg Edwards and Andy Sandberg’s new play, “Application Pending,” turns the stress to laughs, telling the story of a rookie admissions officer (played by Christina Bianco) at a New York City private school navigating her first day on the job–which also happens to be the application deadline. We asked Edwards and Sandberg about their inspiration for the play, their personal experiences with the process, and what they hope audiences take away from the show.
“Application Pending” will run through April 19 at the Westside Theater.
[Editor’s note: We’re currently giving away three pairs of tickets to “Application Pending.” To enter to win, click here.]
Why write a play about private school admissions in New York City?
Andy Sandberg & Greg Edwards: The world of admissions–particularly Kindergarten admissions–is full of fascinating and fun characters. As writers, we must find the voices of our characters, and this subject matter gave us so much to work from. Also, the topic is very timely. Every year, more and more parents are swept up in the Kindergarten admissions process, and the stakes grow increasingly higher.
Have you both recently been through the process with your families? What was it like personally? Close to hell, or not so bad? Did the idea for the play come about during a friendly gripe session—or, if not, then how?
AS: I grew up in New York and attended The Caedmon School through Kindergarten and The Browning School from first through twelfth grade. Both were great schools and I loved my experiences there, so our play is not trying to say anything negative about NY private schools or the quality of education. There are many wonderful schools – public and private. As for the admissions process, I can’t say I remember too much about the process at age 4 other than getting dressed up in a jacket and tie to tour all of these schools while my divorced parents were suddenly in the same room together. That said, I have followed the world of Kindergarten admissions with fascination. Greg and I spoke about doing a comedy about admissions, and Kindergarten admissions was especially ripe for laughs.
GE: I grew up in California, but don’t let our reputation for hang-loosed-ness fool you: Our admissions processes are insane. I got rejected from private Kindergarten, and to this day, I have not forgiven the Nueva School of Hillsborough, California. Fortunately, I got into Catholic school, which was a bit of a change after two years of Jewish preschool. Let’s just say my sense of guilt knows no denomination.
Why choose a main character who is a rookie admissions officer, and why set the play on the day when all the applications are due?
AS & GE: A rookie admissions officer provides a great lens through which the audience can meet all of the wild personalities in this world, and this character allows us to vicariously experience the intensity of the process through her. By setting the play on the day applications are due, we increase the stakes for the parents and heighten the chaos–and the hilarity.
Do you feel the play will give parents some needed perspective on the process, or just some really good laughs?
AS & GE: First and foremost, we want our audience to have a fun evening of theater and 75 minutes of good laughs. That said, all our characters and scenarios–though sometimes heightened–are based in the world of reality. We hope people going through this process can step back and laugh at just how insane it all gets. We have seen perfectly sane parents go absolutely nuts when application season rolls around.
Has the process of writing the play changed your perception of what it means to be a good parent?
AS & GE: The main lesson we walked away with is that education is not a one-size-fits-all experience. It’s important to find the school where your child can excel, rather than making a decision based on branding. Also, yelling at the admissions officer is really not a good idea.
For parents who are thinking about applying to private school in the city, what’s the best advice you would give them in addition to seeing this play?
AS & GE: To quote our main character: “No Kindergarten admissions office is going to stop your kid from curing cancer.” You know what makes your kid special; identify and pursue the environment where those talents can most thrive. At some point during the process, you also need to laugh at the absurdity of it all. “Application Pending” aims to help with that part.
To learn more about “Application Pending,” visit applicationpendingplay.com.
