Chris Shuptrine
He/Him
Durham, NC
Chris Shuptrine is a Durham-based playwright who focuses on the 'office comedy' genre.
Biography
Chris Shuptrine is a Durham-based playwright. His first play, Numbers are Down, will be produced by Redbird Theater in Durham in the summer of 2023. Chris is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
Plays
Office mates go from friends to rivals as the company faces a looming financial crisis.
Who gets a bump up and who gets the boot?
Numbers are Down is a 5-person, one-set office comedy that skewers misogyny in the workplace, imposter syndrome, and the inevitable 'boss tone' that inflicts all those in middle-management.
Cast:
Andrew (Andy): A man in his early 30s; works at Abacus.
Maxine (Max): A woman in her mid 20s; Andy’s coworker.
Cassie: A woman in her early 30s; Andy’s girlfriend; works in legal at Abacus.
Frank: A man in his 40s; Andy and Max’s boss.
Lucy: A woman in her 50s; Frank’s boss.
Outside of Andy, no character is stereotyped to a given race or ethnicity. Andy, meanwhile, should be portrayed as someone who identifies as white. Gender dynamics plays into the story. It’s important that Max, Cassie, and Lucy are portrayed as women (or feminine-leaning non-binary). Andy and Frank should be portrayed as men who identify as men. No conflict or jokes rely on physical appearance (height, weight, disability, etc.). Characters can be played by actors of any size and shape