BEAST OF EDEN

Staged Reading and Discussion

By Will Saxe Directed by Leslie Pasternack

When Adam and Eve are unceremoniously "fired," Eden HR scrambles to fill the positions. Four unlikely candidates are promoted: a loyal Dog, a haughty Cat, a timid Sheep, and the very Snake who caused all the trouble in the first place.

Thrust into the role of “human,” these animals must navigate their new responsibilities—dominion, reason, and free will—armed only with instincts from their old lives. As they bicker, backstab, and brainstorm, Eden begins to look suspiciously like a toxic workplace.

Part biblical parody, part corporate satire, Beast of Eden skewers our endless struggle for power, identity, and purpose. In the end, the play asks: what does it really mean to be human—and why would anyone want the job?

THIS READING IS PART OF THE RING-WORKS NEW PLAY LAB, A PROGRAM AIMED AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PLAYS AND EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS.